[An autopsy case of HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM)]

An autopsy case of HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM) was reported. The patient was a 55-year-old man from Kagoshima, who had no history of blood transfusion. He was admitted to our hospital because of muscle weakness of legs and dysuria, which having since one month ago. On admission, he was able to walk with assistance, but his legs were severely spastic, and Babinski's sign was positive bilaterally. Superficial sensation was normal, but vibration sense was mildly decreased in his legs. CSF showed mild mononuclear pleocytosis with elevated protein. Myelogram and CT were normal. Serum and CSF antibodies to HTLV-I were positive at titers of X4,096 and X128, respectively by immunofluorescent assay, and specific IgG bands (p19, p24, p28 and p53 in serum and p19, p24, p53 in CSF) were detected by western blot analysis. His paraparesis continued to worsen. He became bed-ridden within 2 months. He was received corticosteroid medication. He regained the ability to walk with assistance, and continued taking corticosteroid. In July 4, 1986, macrohematuria appeared and inoperable transitional cell carcinoma of rt. kidney was found by further examination. Chemotherapy were not effective against the carcinoma and he died on July 21, 1987. Neuropathological findings were summarized as follows: cerebral hemisphere was normal except for mild cellular infiltration in the leptomeninges; lesions consisted in unilateral pyramidal tract of pons & medulla and in partial anterior, posterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord; demyelination with axonal degeneration, marked gliosis, numerous lipid-laden macrophages and mild perivascular infiltration of mononuclear cells in these areas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)