title: Brazilian studies on tropical spastic paraparesis. A meta-analysis.
abstract: Tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) is a chronic progressive myelopathy and in most of the cases has a retroviral (HTLV-1) etiology, when it is denominated HTLV-1 associated-mielopathy (HAM/TSP). Around 433 cases of TSP have been described in Northeast and Southeast Brazil. Among these cases, 157 (36.2%) are HTLV-1 positive and 276 (63.7%) are negative. Their mean age is 43.8 years with a slight predominance of females and mulattoes, although white patients are also numerous. Clinically all patients exhibit a spastic paraparesis with variable sphincter and sensory disturbance. Pain and autonomic symptoms seem to be expressive in the HTLV-1 positive HAM/TSP Brazilian patients.
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Serviço de Neurologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFCE), Brasil.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: De Castro Costa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carton
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goubau
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: D'Almeida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*