Tuberculous meningoencephalomyelitis and coinfection with HTLV-I + HTLV-II: Case report

Abstract

HTLV-I and HTLV-II are endemic in some areas of Brazil, where an associated disease, HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) have been diagnosed in significant number of infected individuals. Tuberculosis has been demonstrated among those individuals, with higher prevalence than in the general population, suggesting that there is an increased risk for this comorbidity. We report the case of an individual coinfected with HTLV-I and HTLV-II, suffering from an insidious meningoencephalomyelitis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The patient was a 44 years old man successfully treated with steroids and antituberculous drugs, improving clinically and turning to a negative PCR and to a normal blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier.