Services on Demand
Journal
Article
English (pdf)
Article in xml format
Article references
Automatic translation
Send this article by e-mailIndicators
Cited by SciELO 
Access statistics
Related links
Cited by Google 
Similars in
SciELO 
Similars in Google
Share
Permalink
Infectio
Print version ISSN 0123-9392
Abstract
MEJIA-MERTEL, Juliana; GOMEZ-BANOY, Nicolás; ROJAS-HERNANDEZ, Juan Pablo and GOTUZZO-HERENCIA, Eduardo. Clinical profile of human T-lymphotropic virus type I: a forgotten infection in pediatrics. Infect. [online]. 2021, vol.25, n.1, pp.28-32. ISSN 0123-9392. https://doi.org/10.22354/in.v25i1.905.
The Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), a retrovirus with oncogenic properties, affects around ten to twenty million people worldwide. The most common disorders associated with HTLV-1 infection are T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ALT) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Studies have reported other clinical manifestations in HTLV-1 seropositive patients, including inflammatory disorders, co-infections with opportunistic agents, and pulmonary diseases.
Objective:
Here, we aim to describe a cohort of juvenile patients with confirmed HTLV-1 infection that showed clinical manifestations other than neurological symptoms.
Methodology and patients:
Retrospective analysis of clinical data describing background and clinical findings of 12 juvenile patients with confirmed HTLV-1 infection, attended during January 2018 to February 2020 in a pediatric referral hospital in Cali, Colombia.
Results:
11 out 12 patients were from Colombia´s Pacific coast, 10 suffered from significant nutritional deficiencies. Six exhibited dermatological findings, 3 compatible with infective dermatitis. None of the cases exhibited clinical or laboratory findings suggesting ALT or HAM/TPS. Eight patients had structural lung disease assessed by chest Computed Tomography (CT) scans; 4 of them tested positive for galactomannan antigen in bronchoalveolar fluid suggesting pulmonary aspergillosis, and 2 others exhibited a positive PCR testing for tuberculosis. Three patients were diagnosed with autoimmune disorders; 1 patient with Crohn´s Diseases, 1 case of autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura, and a patient with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (non-granulomatous uveitis).
Conclusions:
There is a broad range of clinical manifestations in pediatric HTLV-1 patients, and the clinician should consider structural pulmonary disease, opportunistic co-infections and autoimmune disorders in the diagnostic algorithm.
Keywords : Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; retroviridae; child; HTLV-1 Infections.
