Transient Acute Myositis in Children

To the Editor.—  A group of children with transient acute myositis were seen in Brooklyn, NY, in January and February 1977. Recent articles have been published about patients with similar signs and symptoms seen during influenza epidemics.^1,2 Eight boys, 4 to 9 years of age, were seen following a short prodromal illness. All experienced inability to walk because of pain in thighs and calves. Most were suspected by their referring physicians of having Guillain-Barré syndrome, which was highly publicized in the press during this period. The prodromal illness consisted of fever, chills, nasal discharge, and generalized fatigue. Some patients complained of transient headache. The story was similar in every case. After a normal night of sleep, each child awoke and was unable to walk because of pain. One half had received some oral antibiotics for their prodromal illness, and none had been recently immunized. At the time of pain