title: [Describing neurolathyrism. Physicians and the lathyrism epidemic in post-civil war Spain].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lathyrism is a chronic disease involving spastic paralysis of the lower limbs caused by the prolonged consumption of large amounts of flour made from grass pea, or almorta as it is known in Spain. In Spain it became an epidemic in the early post-civil war years, and this gave rise to a series of studies and clinical descriptions of unquestionable medical and historical interest.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper analyses the clinical reports of patients with lathyrism during the above-mentioned epidemic in order to stress the importance of the symptoms and the neurological examination in identifying new cases and in controlling them. One interesting feature that stands out is how uniform these descriptions are, except in the initial phase of the disease, where certain differences have been reported depending on the epidemic area. Likewise, the (typical and atypical) prodromal symptoms, the classic symptoms of the disease and the so-called residual symptoms are all described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lathyrism epidemic that occurred in Spain in the years 1941-1943 resulted in a series of clinical descriptions with very detailed accounts of the signs and symptoms written by the Spanish physicians who treated those patients. These reports constitute a valuable historical and clinical contribution on the subject of a disease that has been eradicated in west but is still endemic in other parts of the world.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud I, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Espana.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: del Cura
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huertas
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007842:Lathyrism / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000266:history* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014857:Warfare