Respiratory disturbance is one of the symptoms in post-polio syndrome (PPS), which is induced by the aging process of the respiratory muscle, scoliosis, bulbar muscle weakness and central arousal disturbance. Because of low patient activity levels resulting from progressive locomotive limitation, symptoms of progressive ventilatory insufficiency are often masked. We report a case of a 41-year old male with PPS, who was diagnosed as having sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), and was treated by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation using noninvasive nasal access. At the age of 11 months, he contracted spinal and bulbar poliomyelitis that involved the right arm, trunk, both legs, and bulbar muscles. At the age of 12 years, he became drowsy in the daytime, had headaches in the morning, and general fatigue with the progress of scoliosis. He visited our clinic for further examination of his PPS at the age of 41 years. At admission, his physical examination revealed severe trunk scoliosis with thoracic deformity and muscle weakness with atrophy in the right upper and both lower extremities. Spirometry demonstrated restrictive ventilatory disturbance. Pulse oximetry during the night and a further study using polysomnography (PSG) showed that he had sleep-induced hypoventilation and/or SAS. After he was treated using nasal CPAP and nocturnal ventilation, symptoms related to SAS disappeared.
