title: [HTLV-1 associated myelopathy: clinical and epidemiological profile in a 10-year case series study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-I) myelopathy (HAM/TSP) is a progressive disabling disorder. This work aimed to analyze clinical features and epidemiology in a sample of HAM/TSP.
  
  
  METHODS
  All HTLV-1 infected patients with diagnostic criteria for HAM/TSP, consecutively admitted to the Sarah Hospital from 1998 to 2007, were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  206 patients (67% females; mean age: 53.8 years-old) were diagnosed with HAM/TSP. The mean time of evolution was 9.0 years. The most common neurological symptoms were chronic progressive spastic paraparesis, spasticity, pain, neurogenic bladder and neurogenic bowel. The neurological findings were hyperreflexia, Babinsky, Hoffman and peripheral neuropathy. Pain, spasticity and spinal cord atrophy, observed in MRI, were associated with time of disease (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HAM/TSP is a very disabling disorder, in which pain is reported early, while spasticity and thoracic spinal cord atrophy appear in a later phase of the disease. Cases of HAM/TSP exist with a probable vertical viral transmission.
authors.affiliation: Rede Sarah de Hospitais de Reabilitação, Unidade Belo Horizonte, MG. anachamps@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Ana Paula Silva
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Champs
authors.forename: Valéria Maria de Azeredo
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Passos
authors.forename: Sandhi Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Luiz Sergio
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: João Gabriel Ramos
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ribas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013997:Time Factors