Tropical spastic paraparesis
Tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP), is a medical condition that causes weakness, muscle spasms, and sensory disturbance by human T-lymphotropic virus resulting in paraparesis, weakness of the legs. As the name suggests, it is most common in tropical regions, including the Caribbean. Blood transfusion products are screened for human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) antibodies, as a preventive measure.
| Tropical spastic paraparesis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM) or HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) |
| HTLV-1 which causes TSP | |
| Specialty | Neurology |
| Symptoms | Bowel dysfunction |
| Causes | HTLV-1 retrovirus causes 80% of cases |
| Diagnostic method | Lumbar puncture, MRI |
| Treatment | Interferon alpha, corticosteroids |
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