Damage to the Bulb of the Brain vs Clinical Bulbar Polio
Question: I seem to remember you saying that every survivor has some degree of bulbar polio. What does this mean for polio survivors and PPS?”
Dr. Bruno’s Response: Every polio survivor having some degree of “bulbar polio” is what Dr. David Bodian found performing scores of autopsies on people who had had polio. But here again is the important distinction that people seem never to appreciate: Damage to the bulb of the brain as seen on autopsy is not the same as clinically diagnosed “bulbar polio”.
All polio survivors had damage to the bulb of the brain, but not all polio survivors had damage severe or widespread enough to cause symptoms - difficulty breathing swallowing and controlling blood pressure - that would clinically be diagnosed as “bulbar polio."
This article “Abnormal Eye Movements and PPS” has more information about damage to the brain stem seen on autopsy vs clinically diagnosed “bulbar polio.”