ABSTRACT

 HTLV₁ is a retrovirus, and its spread has led to infection of 10-20 million people in the world. In spite of its high prevalence, the symptoms occurs only in about 5% of the infected population. Transmission of this virus is often from mother to fetus by way of placenta or more importantly to newborn baby through breast feeding. The second way is of a greater significance.

 Another way of transmission of the virus is by sexual intercourse specially from man to woman and the third way is through transfusion and IDU (parentral).

 For the first time in Iran (in 1991) the northeastern part of Khorasan Province was labeled as an endemic area also the disease has been reported from Tehran, Gorgan and Khozestan provinces however, no case had ever been reported from Kurdistan province yet.

 The patient under study is a 28-Year-old girl with unusual symptoms such as and eight-year history of weakness of lower limbs with gradual spread to the upper limbs as well as paresthesia of the four limbs and urine frequency. In physical examination hypereflexia in all the four limbes and planter extensors, colonus and sensory disorders in the limbs were detected bilaterally.

 The paraclinical studies including MRI, laboratory tests and (VER) were normal. Only MRI revealed a non specific emblem. The patient had been treated as a case of MS for eight years. HTLV1 antibody test which had been requested, was positive. Therefore, the patient was labeled as a case of HTLV1 and hospitalized for proper treatment.

 Key words: HTLV1, Kurdistan, Spastic para paresis, Myelopathy