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Human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type I‐associated facial nerve palsy in trinidad and tobago
Author(s) -
Bartholomew Courtenay,
Cleghorn Farley,
Jack Noreen,
Edwards Jeffrey,
Blattner William
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410410617
Subject(s) - medicine , palsy , lower motor neuron , population , afro caribbean , pediatrics , motor neuron , pathology , disease , alternative medicine , environmental health , political science , law
To assess the association of the human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV‐I) and idiopathic facial nerve palsy of the lower motor neuron type, we studied 78 patients consecutively admitted to the Port of Spain General Hospital in Trinidad, the West Indies, with a confirmed diagnosis of idiopathic facial nerve palsy. Patients were compared with two control groups: a population‐based group of persons 20 years and older and a hospital‐based group of patients 15 to 84 years old admitted to the medical wards. Sixty‐two patients were Trinidadians of African origin and 16 were Trinidadians of East Indian origin. None of the East Indian patients was HTLV‐I antibody positive. Three Afro‐Trinidadians were infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and 1 was coinfected with this virus and HTLV‐I. Of the remaining 58 Afro‐Trinidadians, 12 (20.7%) were HTLV‐I positive only. This rate was statistically higher than the HTLV‐I seroprevalence in the Afro‐Trinidadian general population (3.5%) and the hospital control group (5.6%). After age standardization, the HTLV‐I prevalence for patients with facial nerve palsy remained significantly elevated. HTLV‐I antibody assays should be performed on all patients with idiopathic facial nerve palsy of the lower motor neuron type who live in HTLV‐I endemic areas or are migrants from these areas.