Tropical spastic paraparesis | |
---|---|
Other names | HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM) or HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP)[1] |
HTLV-1 which causes TSP | |
Specialty | Neurology |
Symptoms | Bowel dysfunction[2] |
Causes | HTLV-1 retrovirus causes 80% of cases[3] |
Diagnostic method | Lumbar puncture, MRI[2] |
Treatment | Interferon alpha, corticosteroids[3] |
Tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP), is a medical condition that causes weakness, muscle spasms, and sensory disturbance by human T-lymphotropic virus resulting in paraparesis, weakness of the legs. As the name suggests, it is most common in tropical regions, including the Caribbean.[4] Blood transfusion products are screened for human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) antibodies, as a preventive measure.[5]
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