title: Peripheral neuropathy in HTLV-I infected individuals without tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.
abstract: Tropical spastic paraparesis/ HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM) is the classical neurological manifestation of HTLV-I. Only a few studies have described isolated peripheral neuropathy (PN) among HTLV-I infected individuals. 335 infected individuals without TSP/HAM were evaluated for the presence of PN and 45 of them showed evidences of peripheral nervous system involvement. Of these 21 patients had isolated PN, defined by clinical and/or electrophysiological criteria. Sural nerve biopsies revealed inflammatory infiltrates in 2, axonal degeneration in 2 and segmental demyelination in 1. Therefore, peripheral neuropathy can be found as an isolated manifestation of HTLV-I infection. We conclude that HTLV-I infection should be investigated in patients with PN of unknown origin.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Referência em Neuroinfecções e HTLV, Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro, Chagas, FIOCRUZ, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21045-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana C C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Marcus Tulius T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Alexandre H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Alamy
authors.forename: Cristiane R A
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.forename: Marco A D
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Andrada-Serpa
authors.forename: Osvaldo J M
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Abelardo Q-C
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Araújo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014855:Wallerian Degeneration / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology