Syringohydromyelia or HTLV-I associeted myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis: a diagnostic challenge (case report)
Arq. neuropsiquiatr
; 57(2A): 284-7, jun. 1999. ilus
Article
em En
| LILACS
| ID: lil-234464
Biblioteca responsável:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
Human T-cell lumphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) associated myelopathy / tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is the most common chronic myelopathy in Brazil. We present the case of a 53 year old man that fulfiled the diagnostic criteria for HAM/TSP but had at the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spinal cord evidences of syringohydromyelia at the C6-C7 and D2-D7 levels along with Chiari type I malformation. The clinical picture was more typical of HAM/TSP than of syringohydromyelia, which was probably asymptomatic. The present case clearly demonstrates that sorology and neuroimaging should be always use together. We conclude that, specially in places where HTLV-I is endemic, every patient with a spatic paraparesis, even with a radiological picture suggestive of a structural spinal cord lesion, should have a screening test for HTLV-I. The clinical picture must dictate the final direction of the diagnosis.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
LILACS
Assunto principal:
Siringomielia
/
Paraparesia Espástica Tropical
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
Limite:
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Arq. neuropsiquiatr
Assunto da revista:
NEUROLOGIA
/
PSIQUIATRIA
Ano de publicação:
1999
Tipo de documento:
Article