HTLV-I-associated myelopathy in a patient with chronic renal failure.
A case of human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy (HAM) occurring in a 62-year-old Japanese male with a history of hemodialysis and repeated blood transfusions due to chronic renal failure (CRF) is reported. The patient was a lifelong resident of Chiba Prefecture, a nonendemic area for HTLV-I infections. The clinical course was characterized by abrupt onset and rapid progression of neurological signs and symptoms, which appeared to have responded quite well to prednisolone. Although patients with a history of CRF, hemodialysis, and transfusion of blood units which were not screened for anti-HTLV-I antibodies appear to belong to the high risk group for HTLV-1 infections and subsequent development of HAM, reports on such cases have been scanty. Only 3 cases have been reported to date. It appears quite possible that many patients with CRF and HAM remain misdiagnosed.
Tamba
K
K
Hemodialysis Unit, Asahi General Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
Miyauchi
Y
Y
Irabu
N
N
Murakami
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction