{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,19]],"date-time":"2026-09-19T00:03:05Z","timestamp":1789776185571,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,27]],"date-time":"2026-05-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779840000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Trop Doct"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Diphtheria is a potentially fatal infection owing to its life-threatening complications of respiratory obstruction and myocarditis. Less often reported is diphtheritic polyneuropathy (DP), which refers to signs and symptoms of various cranial nerve involvement and\/or limb neuropathy within six weeks of a compatible clinical illness suggestive of diphtheria. We report four cases of DP occurring in a limited outbreak of 19 cases and review the literature. The most common cranial nerves affected were VII, IX and X. Importantly, all four cases had received their infant vaccinations. Diphtheria antitoxin and prednisolone were the mainstay of management in addition to physiotherapy support. All were discharged home and have made a good recovery. We conclude that DP is not so uncommon and its occurrence among children who had been vaccinated requires a review of the vaccination programme and schedules.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/00494755261454023","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T01:45:31Z","timestamp":1779932731000},"page":"723-726","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Diphtheritic polyneuropathy: Not so uncommon"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"56","author":[{"given":"Paul Ehiabhi","family":"Ikhurionan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Benin Teaching Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-5669-0573","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sunday","family":"Adanas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Benin Teaching Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-0281-3529","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Osahon","family":"Osaghae","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Benin Teaching Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5681-9547","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ayebo Evawere","family":"Sadoh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Benin Teaching Hospital"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_2","unstructured":"Diphtheria vaccines: WHO position paper \u2013 August 2017 [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jan 12]. Available from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/who-wer9231"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_3_2","unstructured":"Diphtheria: Background Pathophysiology Epidemiology. 2024 Oct 29 [cited 2025 Jan 12]; Available from: https:\/\/emedicine.medscape.com\/article\/782051-overview?form=fpf"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_4_2","first-page":"85","article-title":"Diphtheria: relic or relevant","volume":"4","author":"Gupta S","year":"2017","unstructured":"Gupta S, Jayashree M. Diphtheria: relic or relevant. J Ped Critical Care 2017; 4: 85.","journal-title":"J Ped Critical Care"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/tropej\/27.1.23"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1258\/td.2012.120293"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/archneur.58.9.1438"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_8_2","unstructured":"Diphtheria: Vaccine Preventable Diseases Surveillance Standards [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jan 12]. Available from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/m\/item\/vaccine-preventable-diseases-surveillance-standards-diphtheria"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_9_2","unstructured":"CDC. Diphtheria Symptoms and Complications [Internet]. Diphtheria. 2024 [cited 2025 Jan 14]. Available from: https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/diphtheria\/symptoms\/index.html"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/21645515.2023.2219577"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_11_2","first-page":"107","article-title":"Clinical profile and outcome in children with post diphtheritic paralysis in a tertiary care hospital in southern India","volume":"16","author":"Gowda VK","year":"2022","unstructured":"Gowda VK, Vignesh S, Benakappa A, et al. Clinical profile and outcome in children with post diphtheritic paralysis in a tertiary care hospital in southern India. Iran J Child Neurol 2022; 16: 107\u2013115.","journal-title":"Iran J Child Neurol"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_12_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3201\/eid1909.130117"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-7020-4088-7.00092-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/26339447231194446"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/315551"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s12070-021-02706-6"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_17_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/jnnp.67.4.433"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/1817-1745.174441"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_19_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/JPN.JPN_130_17"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_20_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/brain\/awm004"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_21_2","first-page":"67","article-title":"Diphtheria in Nigeria: is there resurgence?","volume":"8","author":"Sadoh A","year":"2010","unstructured":"Sadoh A, Okhakhu A, Omuemu V, et al. Diphtheria in Nigeria: is there resurgence? Ann Biomedl Sci 2010; 8: 67\u201374.","journal-title":"Ann Biomedl Sci"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_22_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/jnnp.2004.056523"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_23_2","first-page":"82","article-title":"Diphtheria mortality in Nigeria: the need to stock diphtheria antitoxin","volume":"12","author":"Sadoh AE","year":"2011","unstructured":"Sadoh AE, Sadoh WE. Diphtheria mortality in Nigeria: the need to stock diphtheria antitoxin. Afr J Clin Exp Microbiol 2011; 12: 82\u201385. PubMed.","journal-title":"Afr J Clin Exp Microbiol"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_24_2","unstructured":"Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated Case management of diphtheria in children. [cited 2025 Jan 14]. 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