Pathological observations in HTLV-I associated myelopathy

The following are the clinical and autopsy findings in a 63-year-old woman with myelopathy associated with the human T-cell lymphotropic virus Type I (HTLV-I). HTLV-I antibody was positive in both the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In the lower thoracic region, demyelination and the loss of axons were accompanied by a proliferation of astrocytes, and gliosis was found in the lateral columns. Perivascular and parenchymal infiltrations of macrophages, lymphocytes, and plasma cells were also observed, but neither viral inclusion bodies nor atypical lymphocytes were found.