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Engineering

[Meningoradiculitis disclosing T-lymphocyte leukemia in HTLV-1 infection]

J M Visy¹, P Vassel, P Chaine

¹Service de Neurologie, Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris.

Revue Neurologique|January 1, 1993

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Summary

This case report details a rare instance of Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1)-associated adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) in a young African woman presenting with neurological symptoms. Treatment led to significant improvement and resolution of spinal cord inflammation.

Area of Science:

Neurology
Oncology
Infectious Diseases

Background:

Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus linked to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL).
ATLL is uncommon in individuals of African descent.
Neurological involvement in ATLL, such as meningoradiculopathy, can occur.

Observation:

A 21-year-old African woman with HTLV-1 presented with lymphomatous meningoradiculopathy, lacking typical ATLL features.
Lumbar MRI revealed pial enhancement of the conus medullaris and cauda equina.
Brain MRI showed multifocal white matter lesions.

Findings:

Systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy resulted in clinical improvement.
Follow-up MRI demonstrated complete resolution of the lumbar pial enhancement.
The case highlights an unusual presentation of ATLL in a young African patient.

Implications:

This case underscores the importance of considering ATLL in patients with unexplained neurological symptoms, particularly in underrepresented populations.
The association with parasitic infections like Strongyloides may be a co-factor in ATLL development.
Effective treatment strategies combining systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy can manage neurological complications of ATLL.

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Biomedical Engineering

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[meningoradiculitis Disclosing T-lymphocyte Leukemia In Htlv-1 Infection]

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