[Vasculitis and neurologic manifestations related to HTLV-1].

OBJECTIVES

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.

CONCLUSION

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.