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Discrepancy, coincidence or evidence in chronic idiopathic spastic paraparesis throughout the world. A meta-analysis
F E Leon-S1, C M Costa, N Gaffga
1Laboratory of Clinical Neurophysiology and Human Neurobiology, UIS-Santander University School of Medicine Bucaramanga, Colombia. feleones@multicomputo.multinet.com.co
Abstract:
HTLV-I has been associated with a chronic idiopathic spastic paraparesis (CHISPA) in man; however, a complete understanding of this association is still debated. We selected the most comprehensible papers on this topic between 1985 and 1996, and found that 1261 out of 2811 patients (44.9%) reported, throughout the world, were HTLV-I positive. The mean age was 39.5 years and there was a female predominance of 1.9:1. These results do not exclude the causality of HTLV-I as a germen associated to CHISPA; however, other causes (e.g., toxic, immunosuppressors) must be considered as participating in the multistep neurodegeneration observed in CHISPA throughout the world.