Definition:
Tropical Spastic Paraparesis is a chronic and progressive clinical disorder caused by a virus that results in immune dysfunction, and exhibits as symptoms: progressive weakness, sensory disturbance, and sphincter dysfunction.
Diagnosis:
Tropical Spastic Paraparesis may be diagnosed through physical examination, medical history, blood tests, and imaging tests.
Treatment:
There is no established treatment this condition, although some patients may be given steroids. Lioresal and tizanidine may also be considered.
Symptoms and Signs:
The symptoms of Tropical Spastic Paraparesis include: progressive muscle weakness, sensory disturbance, sphincter dysfunction, arthritis, pulmonary lymphocytic alveolitis, and infectious dermatitis. Patients with this condition also exhibit uveitis, polymyositis, and keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
Causes:
HTLV-1 (virus affecting the immune system and associated with a particular leukemia/lymphoma) infection is believed to be the main cause of tropical spastic paraparesis.
