Academic Medicine Open Forum

One hundred years ago, in August 1921, attorney and future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracted an illness characterized by: fever; protracted symmetric, ascending paralysis; facial paralysis; bladder and bowel dysfunction; numbness; and dysesthesia. The symptoms gradually resolved except for paralysis of the lower extremities. The history books—as well as his own presidential library—cite polio as the cause of his illness and the reason for his lifelong mobility issues. 

But…[cue mysterious music]…was it really polio? 

Since then, medical experts who research this type of thing (cool job!) think it’s far more likely that FDR suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome. (Long list of evidence here.) His misdiagnosis may have been a good thing, though, as public awareness of his disease is believed to have catalyzed efforts to develop a polio vaccine.

Can you think of any modern research and data that may have changed an earlier stance, once thought to be accurate?

One hundred years ago, in August 1921, attorney and future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracted an illness characterized by: fever; protracted symmetric, ascending paralysis; facial paralysis; bladder and bowel dysfunction; numbness; and dysesthesia. The symptoms gradually resolved except for paralysis of the lower extremities. The history books-as well as his own presidential library-cite polio as the cause of his illness and the reason for his lifelong mobility issues. 

But…[cue mysterious music]…was it really polio? 

Since then, medical experts who research this type of thing (cool job!) think it's far more likely that FDR suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome. (Long list of evidence here.) His misdiagnosis may have been a good thing, though, as public awareness of his disease is believed to have catalyzed efforts to develop a polio vaccine.

Can you think of any modern research and data that may have changed an earlier stance, once thought to be accurate?

One hundred years ago, in August 1921, attorney and future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracted an illness characterized by: fever; protracted symmetric, ascending paralysis; facial paralysis; bladder and bowel dysfunction; numbness; and dysesthesia. The symptoms gradually resolved except for paralysis of the lower extremities. The history books-as well as his own presidential library-cite polio as the cause of his illness and the reason for his lifelong mobility issues. 

But…[cue mysterious music]…was it really polio? 

Since then, medical experts who research this type of thing (cool job!) think it's far more likely that FDR suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome. (Long list of evidence here.) His misdiagnosis may have been a good thing, though, as public awareness of his disease is believed to have catalyzed efforts to develop a polio vaccine.

Can you think of any modern research and data that may have changed an earlier stance, once thought to be accurate?

One hundred years ago, in August 1921, attorney and future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracted an illness characterized by: fever; protracted symmetric, ascending paralysis; facial paralysis; bladder and bowel dysfunction; numbness; and dysesthesia. The symptoms gradually resolved except for paralysis of the lower extremities. The history books—as well as his own presidential library—cite polio as the cause of his illness and the reason for his lifelong mobility issues. 

But…[cue mysterious music]…was it really polio? 

Since then, medical experts who research this type of thing (cool job!) think it’s far more likely that FDR suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome. (Long list of evidence here.) His misdiagnosis may have been a good thing, though, as public awareness of his disease is believed to have catalyzed efforts to develop a polio vaccine.

Can you think of any modern research and data that may have changed an earlier stance, once thought to be accurate?

One hundred years ago, in August 1921, attorney and future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracted an illness characterized by: fever; protracted symmetric, ascending paralysis; facial paralysis; bladder and bowel dysfunction; numbness; and dysesthesia. The symptoms gradually resolved except for paralysis of the lower extremities. The history books-as well as his own presidential library-cite polio as the cause of his illness and the reason for his lifelong mobility issues. 

But…[cue mysterious music]…was it really polio? 

Since then, medical experts who research this type of thing (cool job!) think it's far more likely that FDR suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome. (Long list of evidence here.) His misdiagnosis may have been a good thing, though, as public awareness of his disease is believed to have catalyzed efforts to develop a polio vaccine.

Can you think of any modern research and data that may have changed an earlier stance, once thought to be accurate?