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Tropical Spastic Paraparesis Synonym(s): Reviewed 12-10-01 Get Web page suited for printing Email this to a friend or colleague Studies with patients Table of Contents (click to jump to sections) What is Tropical Spastic Paraparesis?Is there any treatment? What is the prognosis? What research is being done? Organizations Related NINDS Publications and Information What is Tropical Spastic Paraparesis? For several decades the term “tropical spastic paraparesis” (TSP) was used to describe a chronic and progressive clinical syndrome that affected adults living in equatorial areas of the world. This condition was initially thought to be associated with infectious agents (such as Treponema pertenue and Treponema pallidum which cause inflammation of the central nervous system) and with chronic nutritional deficiencies (such as avitaminosis) or exposure to potentially toxic foods (such as bitter cassava). Neurological and modern neuroepidemiological studies found that in some individuals no one cause could explain the progressive weakness, sensory disturbance, and sphincter dysfunction that affected individuals with TSP. In spite of public health programs created to eradicate the above-mentioned infectious and nutritional conditions in the tropics, large numbers of people continued to be affected. During the mid-1980's, an important association was established between the first human retrovirus-human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type 1 (also known as HTLV-1)-and idiopathic TSP (idiopathic means of unknown origin). Since then, this condition has been named HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/ tropical spastic paraparesis or HAM/TSP and scientists now understand that it is a condition caused by a virus that results in immune dysfunction. Patients with HAM/TSP may also exhibit uveitis (inflammation of the uveal tract of the eye), arthritis (inflammation of one or more joints), pulmonary lymphocytic alveolitis (inflammation of the lung tissues), polymyositis (an inflammatory muscle disease), keratoconjunctivitis sicca (persistent dryness of the cornea and conjunctiva), and infectious dermatitis (inflammation of the skin). Co-factors that may play a role in transmitting the disorder include being a recipient of transfusion blood products (especially before 1989), breastmilk feeding from a seropositive mother, intravenous drug use, or being the sexual partner of a seropositive individual for several years. Not every HTLV-1 seropositive carrier will become a HAM/TSP patient. Fewer than 5% will exhibit neurological dysfunction or, eventually, hematological malignancy such as adult T-cell leukemia or lymphoma. Is there any treatment? What is the prognosis? What research is being done? National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases (NIAID)
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Related NINDS Publications and Information
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