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Imaging of human T-lymphotropic virus type I-associated chronic progressive myeloneuropathies

  • Diagnostic Neuroradiology
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Summary

We studied magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head and cervical spine and CT of the head in 46 patients (14 men, 32 women) with chronic progressive mycloneuropathy. The findings were correlated with human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) serology, race, country of origin, and age. We found a female predominance of 2∶1. Most patients were aged between 30 and 50 years, and most were Caribbean immigrants and black. There were 9 men and 17 women with blood antibody titers to HTLV-I and 7 men and 15 women with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) titers. All patients with virus or antibodies in blood or CSF were Caribbean immigrants or black. T2-weighted cranial MRI showed scattered areas of high signal intensity in the cerebral white matter, usually in the periventricular and subcortical areas, but not in the posterior cranial fossa. Cranial CT revealed periventricular low density areas, ventricular enlargement, and atrophy MRI of the cervical spine showed atrophy of the cord. Myelography was normal in all 15 patients examined. No imaging differences were observed between the HTLV-I-positive and-negative patients. These findings, although consistent with demyelination, are not specific.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, New York, USA

    E. Alcindor, R. Valderrama, A. Katz & P. A. Pipia

  2. Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Illinois, USA

    M. Canavaggio & H. Lee

  3. Department of Neurology and Clinical Electrophysiology, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York, USA

    C. Montesinos & R. R. Merino

  4. New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, USA

    R. E. Madrid

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  1. E. Alcindor
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  2. R. Valderrama
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  3. M. Canavaggio
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  4. H. Lee
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  5. A. Katz
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  6. C. Montesinos
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  7. R. E. Madrid
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Alcindor, E., Valderrama, R., Canavaggio, M. et al. Imaging of human T-lymphotropic virus type I-associated chronic progressive myeloneuropathies. Neuroradiology 35, 69–74 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00588283

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