[Vasculitis and neurologic manifestations related to HTLV-1].
OBJECTIVE
The most common neurological picture associated with HTLV-1 infection is a slowly progressive spastic paraplegia often involving nerve and muscle inflammation. We report here six cases of inflammatory vasculitis of the nervous system observed among HTLV-1 infected patients.


METHODS
HTLV-1 infection was diagnosed in 6 female patients, mean age 58 years (range 40-77 years) using ELISA, Western blot or polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
All 6 patients presented a pyramidal syndrome which was associated with peripheral neuropathy in 3, myositis in 1 and a sicca syndrome in 3. Two groups of patients could be identified. In 3 patients, the neurological picture was typical of HTLV infection; pathology examination of biopsy material revealed necrozing vasculitis. In 3 other patients, the clinical course was particularly rapid, highly suggestive of anterior spinal artery infarction, associated, in 2, with a major inflammatory syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
These 6 cases demonstrate that vasculitis can be associated with HTLV-1 infection as has been observed in HIV-infected patients. In certain cases, clinical signs of vasculitis may be lacking while in others they may dominate the clinical manifestations.
Vernant
J C
JC
Service de Neurologie, Hôpital de jour (CNV), Fort-de-France.
Smadja
D
D
Deforge-Lasseur
C
C
Cabre
P
P
Buisson
G
G
Neisson-Vernant
C
C
Desgranges
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007238:Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply; D013997:Time Factors; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology
Vascularites et manifestations neurologiques liées au HTLV-1.