title: Clinical characteristics of HTLV-1 associated dermato-polymyositis. Seven cases from Martinique.
abstract: Myositis linked to HTLV-1 is unfrequent. Over a period of 8 years, 14 patients with inflammatory myopathy were diagnosed in Martinique. Seven were seropositive for HTLV 1 antibody; the clinical and pathological data of whom are presented herein. Five patients presented with polymyositis, two with dermatomyositis. All seven patients had extra-muscular clinical features including neuropathy (4/7) and myelopathy (6/7), resulting in a quite peculiar clinical picture. Muscle biopsy showed a neurogenic process combined with myositic changes in 3/7 patients. Corticotherapy led to dramatic improvement in only one case, but with no sustained effect. HTLV 1 may be considered the etiological agent of this form of dermato-polymyositis, characterized by a clearly distinctive clinico-pathological picture, and a poor response to corticotherapy. As in the case of tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV 1 associated myelopathy, careful assessment of non-steroidal therapy is now warranted.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008395:Martinique; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000187:drug effects; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D011241:Prednisone