Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is a malignancy of mature CD4+ T-cells caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). Twenty million people are believed to be infected throughout the world, mostly in Japan, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America, particularly in Brazil and Peru. ATL affects about 5% of infected individuals and is classified in the following clinical forms: ac...

Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) was first described in 1977 as a distinct clinico-pathological entity with a suspected viral etiology. Subsequently, a novel RNA retrovirus, human T-cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was isolated from a cell line established from the leukemic cells of an ATL patient, and the finding of a clear association with ATL led to its inclusion among hu...

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma is a rare malignancy associated with the human retrovirus human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1. It is characterized by the proliferation of highly pleomorphic lymphocytes. Involvement of peripheral blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, and extranodal sites such as skin, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and central nervous system can occur. There are four distin...

Adult T-cell lymphoma/leukemia (ATL) is a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative neoplasm caused by human T-lymphotrophic virus 1. In its more common, aggressive forms, ATL carries one of the poorest prognoses of the non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The disease has clinical subtypes (ie, acute, lymphoma, chronic, and smoldering forms) defined by the presenting features, and therefore, the clinical course can va...