Human lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV 1) is an oncoretrovirus that chronically and persistently infects T lymphocytes; which can cause serious neoplastic or inflammatory diseases, however, most are asymptomatic and only a small number of patients develop the disease. Although this virus particularly affects the hematological system in the form of T-cell leukemia or lymphoma, the nervous system is also an important target, both the central and peripheral components. In recent years, different associations have been found between this viral infection and multiple neuroinflammatory pathologies such as encephalitis, motor neuron diseases, polyneuropathies, cranial neuropathies and even myopathies, enriching the syndromic spectrum of this entity. On this occasion, the clinical particularities of a rare and possible association between HTLV 1 and multiple cranial neuropathy expressed in a patient managed in a tertiary care hospital in Cali, Colom bia will be described.
HTLV-1
Infección por el Virus Linfotrópico de Células T Humano HTLV-1 y Paraparesia Espástica Tropical en Ecuador: Paradigma de Enfermedad Tropical Desatendida. Human T-Lymphotrophic Virus Infection (HTLV-1) And Tropical Spastic Paraparesis: Paradigms Of An Overlooked Tropical Disease.
The human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1) infection is considered endemic in South America. For more than two decades clinical cases of HTLV-1 associated mielopaties have been reported in Ecuador, pathology known as tropical spastic paraparesis. There is only two studies about HTLV-1 seroprevalence in Ecuador, both of them with small sample size but showing a high prevalence of HTLV-1 infection, at least for afrodescendants and indigenous communities. However, there is not a currently screening for blood and organ banks carried out by ecuadorian public health authorities. This scenario makes HTLV-1 infection and associated pathologies (like tropical spastic paraparesis) neglected diseases in Ecuador. More epidemiological studies need to be implemented in order to develop control and prevention strategies in the country.
