Tropical spastic paraparesis occurring in HTLV-1 associated infective dermatitis. Report of two cases.

An association between HTLV-1 infection and infective dermatitis (ID) a relapsing eczematous condition of Jamaican children, was reported in 1990. These patients are at risk of developing other known HTLV-1 related diseases. We have observed the development of HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis in two patients, ages 14 and 35 years, who were diagnosed with ID at ages 2 and 10 years, respectively. Infective dermatitis of children serves as an early marker of HTLV-I infection and may predict later development of either the malignant outcome, adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma or the neurologic manifestation HAM/TSP among adult carriers of HTLV-1 infection.