The HTLV-1 neurological complex

Abstract

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus that infects about 20 million people worldwide and causes immune-mediated diseases of the nervous system. The classic neurological presentation of HTLV-1 infection is a myelopathy called HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). However, HAM/TSP is not the only neurological outcome that can result from HTLV-1 infection. In this Personal View, we show that HTLV-1 has a broader neurological spectrum than the names HAM/TSP suggest and that people infected with this virus can present with various isolated or assorted syndromes.