Case for diagnosis. Infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1: differential diagnosis of atopic dermatitis

Abstract: Infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 (IDH) is the main cutaneous marker of HTLV-1 infection. This disease occurs primarily in children and should be differentiated from other eczemas, especially from atopic dermatitis. The largest series of IDH are from Jamaica and Brazil. There are an estimated 15 to 20 million infected people in the world, and Brazil is one of the endemic regions. Studies suggest that IDH in children may be a marker for the development of T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) or myelopathy associated with HTLV-1/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM / TSP) in adulthood.

HTLV-1-associated infective dermatitis and probable HTLV-1- associated myelopathy in an adolescent female

Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated infective dermatitis (ID) is a chronic, severe and recurrent eczema occurring during childhood in patients vertically infected with HTLV-1. HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesia (HAM/ TSP) is slow and progressive. We report the case of an adolescent female from a non-endemic area for HTLV-1 who presents ID and, most likely, associated HAM/TSP.

High HTLV-1 proviral load, a marker for HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, is also detected in patients with infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1

Salvador (BA, Brazil) is an endemic area for human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). The overall prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in the general population has been estimated to be 1.76%. HTLV-1 carriers may develop a variety of diseases such as adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 (IDH). IDH is a chronic and severe form of childhood exudative and infective dermatitis involving mainly the scalp, neck and ears. It has recently been observed that 30% of patients with IDH develop juvenile HAM/TSP. The replication of HTLV-1 has been reported to be greater in adult HAM/TSP patients than in asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers. In the current study, the proviral load of 28 children and adolescents with IDH not associated with HAM/TSP was determined and the results were compared to those obtained in 28 HTLV-1 adult carriers and 28 adult patients with HAM/TSP. The proviral load in IDH patients was similar to that of patients with HAM/TSP and much higher than that found in HTLV-1 carriers. The high levels of proviral load in IDH patients were not associated with age, duration of illness, duration of breast-feeding, or activity status of the skin disease. Since proviral load is associated with neurological disability, these data support the view that IDH patients are at high risk of developing HAM/TSP.

Lesões dermatológicas em pacientes infectados pelo vírus linfotrópico humano de células T do tipo 1 (HTLV-1) / Dermatologic lesions in patients infected with the human T-cell lymphotropic vírus type 1 (HTLV-1)

O vírus linfotrópico humano de células T do tipo 1 (HTLV-1) é o primeiro retrovírus isolado do ser humano. Descreveu-se, em pouco tempo, o seu papel etiológico em algumas doenças, com destaque para a leucemia/linfoma de células T do adulto (ATLL), a mielopatia associada ao HTLV-1/paraparesia espástica tropical (HAM/TSP) e a uveíte associada ao HTLV-1 (HAU). Na década de 90, o HTLV-1 foi associado a eczema grave da infância, conhecido como dermatite infecciosa (DI). Desde então, diversos outros tipos de lesões cutâneas têm sido observados em pacientes infectados pelo HTLV-1, em especial, nos doentes de HAM/TSP ou de ATLL. Porém, mesmo portadores assintomáticos do vírus apresentam doenças dermatológicas. Excetuando-se a dermatite infecciosa, não há lesão da pele específica da infecção pelo HTLV-1. Aqui, os autores apresentam as principais lesões dermatológicas descritas em pacientes infectados pelo HTLV-1, destacando o valor epidemiológico e clínico desses achados.