Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) is a distinct peripheral T-lymphocytic malignancy associated with a retrovirus designated human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1). The diversity in clinical features and prognosis of patients with this disease has led to its subclassification into the following four categories: acute, lymphoma, chronic, and smoldering types. The chronic and smoldering subtypes are considered indolent and are usually managed with watchful waiting until disease progression, analogous to the management of some patients with chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) or other indolent histology lymphomas. Patients with aggressive ATL generally have a poor prognosis because of multidrug resistance of malignant cells, a large tumor burden with multiorgan failure, hypercalcemia, and/or frequent infectious complications as a result of a profound T-cell immunodeficiency. Under the sponsorship of the 13th International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV, a group of ATL researchers joined to form a consensus statement based on established data to define prognostic factors, clinical subclassifications, and treatment strategies. A set of response criteria specific for ATL reflecting a combination of those for lymphoma and CLL was proposed. Clinical subclassification is useful but is limited because of the diverse prognosis among each subtype. Molecular abnormalities within the host genome, such as tumor suppressor genes, may account for these diversities. A treatment strategy based on the clinical subclassification and prognostic factors is suggested, including watchful waiting approach, chemotherapy, antiviral therapy, allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (alloHSCT), and targeted therapies.

During the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of patients with disseminated leishmaniasis (DL), which is characterized by a large number of acneiform and papular skin lesions, with very few or no parasites in the skin tissue. The present report describes 42 cases of DL identified between 1992 and 1998 in an area where Leishmania braziliensis transmission is endemic; 8 of the patients were prospectively diagnosed. In a contrast to localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL), acquisition of DL was associated with age >19 years (P<.05), male sex (P<.05), and agricultural occupation (P<.001). Patients with DL presented with 10-300 lesions that were a mixture of acneiform, papular, nodular, and ulcerated types. Twelve (29%) of 42 patients had mucosal involvement. Patients with DL had lower levels of interferon-gamma (P<.05) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (P<.05) production, compared with patients with LCL. DL is an emerging clinical distinct form of leishmaniasis associated with agricultural activities and host immunological response.

Purpose Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) is a distinct mature T-cell malignancy caused by chronic infection with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 with diverse clinical features and prognosis. ATL remains a challenging disease as a result of its diverse clinical features, multidrug resistance of malignant cells, frequent large tumor burden, hypercalcemia, and/or frequent opportunistic infection. In 2009, we published a consensus report to define prognostic factors, clinical subclassifications, treatment strategies, and response criteria. The 2009 consensus report has become the standard reference for clinical trials in ATL and a guide for clinical management. Since the last consensus there has been progress in the understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of ATL and risk-adapted treatment approaches. Methods Reflecting these advances, ATL researchers and clinicians joined together at the 18th International Conference on Human Retrovirology—Human T-Lymphotropic Virus and Related Retroviruses—in Tokyo, Japan, March, 2017, to review evidence for current clinical practice and to update the consensus with a new focus on the subtype classification of cutaneous ATL, CNS lesions in aggressive ATL, management of elderly or transplantation-ineligible patients, and treatment strategies that incorporate up-front allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation and novel agents. Results As a result of lower-quality clinical evidence, a best practice approach was adopted and consensus statements agreed on by coauthors (> 90% agreement). Conclusion This expert consensus highlights the need for additional clinical trials to develop novel standard therapies for the treatment of ATL

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Objectives: To review the literature on diseases linked with infection by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in childhood and adolescence, with focus on clinical aspects, diagnosis, pathogenesis, progression and treatment.Sources: Medical literature published during the last 20 years identified using PubMed and MEDLINE and from specialized medical books, with emphasis on infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-I (IDH), on the juvenile form of HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), on adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and on HTLV-I-associated uveitis. Keywords used to search databases were: HTLV-I-associated infective dermatitis, HTLV-Iassociated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, HTLV-I-associated uveitis.Summary of the findings: IDH is a chronic, relapsing and infected dermatitis of childhood which always involves the scalp and which may progress to HAM/TSP and ATL. HAM/TSP is a chronic and incapacitating myelopathy of adults. There are 17 well-documented cases of HAM/TSP in children and adolescents in the literature, 12 of whom are patients with IDH. In contrast with the adult form of the disease, the juvenile form is rapid and progressive. ATL is a type of T-cell leukemia/ lymphoma that affects adults and is generally fatal. Eleven of the 24 published reports of ATL in children and adolescents were diagnosed in Brazil.Conclusions: These diseases are likely to be more common in childhood and adolescence than the literature would suggest. It is advisable that serological testing be performed for HTLV-I in children and adolescents suffering from chronic and relapsing eczema, with signs and symptoms of myelopathy or with a diagnosis of T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. It is important that pediatricians know how to recognize the pediatric manifestations of this infection in order to correctly diagnose them and offer their patients appropriate guidance and treatment.

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In order to evaluate the reliability of histopathological classifications of cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis the authors compared the histopathological patterns of two biopsies taken simultaneously from the same patient, and classified the material according to Ridley et al. (1980), to Magalhães et al. (1986a), and to a more simplified classification with only three patterns. Distinct histopathological aspects were observed in different lesions or even in the same lesion. The authors concluded that histopathological patterns do not represent a stage of tegumentary leishmaniasis, thus they can not be correlated with prognosis and therapeutical response as suggested in the literature.

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