Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in HTLV-1 Patients (.pdf)

The Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the first discovered human retrovirus. Although the vast majority of infected individuals are asymptomatic carriers (a.c.HTLV-1), HTLV-1 can induce Tropical Spastic Paraparesis/HTLV-1 Associated Myelopathy (TSP/HAM), a progressive, inflammatory, and demyelinating myelopathy. HTLV-1 intermediate uveitis is the most frequent ophthalmic manifestation, in the setting of which optic disc edema can be observed. An actual acute optic neuropathy (ON) can also occur during the course of TSP/HAM, the whole clinical presentation mimicking a progressive form of multiple sclerosis. Previous reports have suggested subclinical involvement of the optic nerve in HTLV-1 patients using visual evoked potential. The goal of our study was to determine whether there is subclinical ON in a.c.HTLV-1 and TSP/HAM patients using retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness.