Signs and symptoms of human T-lymphotropic virus 1 and 2 infections in paediatric patients

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of signs and symptoms of HTLV-1 and 2 infection in paediatric patients. Methods: We included cohort, case-control and descriptive observational studies that reported the prevalence of signs and symptoms of HTLV-1 and 2 infections in paediatric patients. Searches were performed in MEDLINE® (Ovid), EMBASE and LILACS from inception to the present, and we saturated information with other sources of published and unpublished literature. We decided not to perform meta-analysis according to heterogeneity. Results: A total of eight studies met the inclusion criteria for qualitative analysis. No studies of HTLV-2 were found. Females predominated and there was vertical transmission in nearly 100% of cases. Infective dermatitis was a common manifestation of HTLV in paediatric patients. In addition, persistent hyperreflexia, clonus and the Babinski sign were early neurological alterations observed in patients carrying the virus. Conclusion: HTLV screening is recommended in patients presenting infective dermatitis, persistent hyperreflexia, walking disturbances and in those who come from endemic zones.