Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage in a human T-lymphotropic virus type I carrierwith acute cerebellar ataxia and interstitial pneumonitis: An autopsy casereport

A 76-year-old HTLV-I-positive male with acute cerebellar ataxia was sufferi ng from dyspnea on exertion. Chest CT suggested interstitial pneumonitis. M ethylprednisolone pulse therapy improved his symptoms and chest CT findings . Twelve months after discharge, when the prednisolone dose was tapered to 5 mg every other day, his lung lesion recurred. The lesion responded initia lly to steroid therapy. However, hypoxemia intractable to steroid pulse the rapy developed and the patient died of respiratory failure, The autopsy rev ealed diffuse alveolar hemorrhage with no finding of vasculitis. This is th e first case report of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage in an HTLV-I carrier.