HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP) with Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Two cases of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP) with Hashimoto's thyroiditis are reported. One patient is a 47-year-old female with goiter and the other a 60-year-old female. Both have slowly progressive spastic paraparesis and have anti-HTLV-I antibodies in their serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Anti-thyroid antibodies are also present in their serum, and biopsy specimens of their thyroids showed the pathological features of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The association of the two disorders in these patients provides further evidence for the autoimmune hypothesis of the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP, and also suggests a relationship of Hashimoto's thyroiditis with HTLV-I infection.