Tropical spastic paraparesis occurring in HTLV-1 associated infective dermatitis. Report of two cases.
An association between HTLV-1 infection and infective dermatitis (ID) a relapsing eczematous condition of Jamaican children, was reported in 1990. These patients are at risk of developing other known HTLV-1 related diseases. We have observed the development of HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis in two patients, ages 14 and 35 years, who were diagnosed with ID at ages 2 and 10 years, respectively. Infective dermatitis of children serves as an early marker of HTLV-I infection and may predict later development of either the malignant outcome, adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma or the neurologic manifestation HAM/TSP among adult carriers of HTLV-1 infection.
LaGrenade
L
L
Department of Medicine, U.W.I., Jamaica.
Morgan
C
C
Carberry
C
C
Hanchard
B
B
Fletcher
V
V
Gray
R
R
Cranston
B
B
Rodgers-Johnson
P
P
Manns
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis