[Two cases of HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM) complicated with Sjögren's syndrome, T-lymphocyte alveolitis and arthropathy].

: Two cases of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM) complicated with Sjogren's syndrome (SjS), T-lymphocyte alveolitis and arthropathy were reported. Case 1 was a 55-year-old woman. Since 40 years of age she had been suffering from repetitive pulmonary infection. She also noted polyarthralgia since 42 years of her age and was diagnosed as SjS at her age 43. She developed gait disturbance since April 1988. Case 2 was a 65-year-old woman. She began to have gait disturbance at 62 years of age. A right knee joint pain started in December 1988. The two cases have the following features in common: 1. The diagnosis of HAM is definite because of pyramidal signs and positive anti-HTLV-I antibody in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid. 2. The histological findings of the minor salivary glands are compatible with SjS. 3. Differential cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) showed an increase in lymphocytes which suggested the presence of clinical or subclinical T-lymphocyte alveolitis. 4. A mono-or polyarthropathy is observed. These findings are suggestive that HAM is not the disease restricted within the central nervous system but the disease with systemic involvement which may be caused by the activated T-lymphocytes. Thus the two cases are interesting for the understanding of the pathogenesis of HAM.