title: Acute human T-lymphotropic virus type 1-associated myelopathy: a clinicopathologic study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, acute human T-lymphotropic virus type 1-associated myelopathy (HAM) was reported clinically without pathologic information. We report an autopsy case of acute HAM.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report the case of a 52-year-old man with acute-onset gait disturbance followed by rapidly progressive paraplegia, who died 9 months later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The postmortem study showed swelling of the thoracic spinal cord. Histologically, there was inflammation and vacuolation in the white matter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that these pathologic findings, mimicking tropical spastic paraparesis, may represent the characteristic pathologic features of acute HAM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Center for Cerebrovascular Disorders, Ushioda General Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kasahata
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shiota
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
authors.forename: Imaharu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murayama
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000821:virology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology