HTLV service

The National Centre for Human Retrovirology

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust at St. Mary’s Hospital hosts the national referral center for patients with HTLV-I and HTLV-II infections and related diseases. 

Services include:

  • Pre-test Information
  • Diagnosis
  • Long-term follow up
  • Specialist management of HTLV associated diseases
  • Patient Information
  • Research Studies including clinical trials 

Services are provided by dedicated team and are available by referral from GPs, other Hospitals as well as self referral.

HTLV-I infection is associated with symptom-less carriage in 90% of infected persons but HTLV-I associated diseases include myelopathy (Spinal Cord Inflammation) and Adult T-cell Leukaemia/Lymphoma (ATLL).

HTLV-II does not usually cause disease but occasionally patients may develop myelopathy.

HTLV-I and HTLV-II-associated myelopathy (HAM) is characterized by weakness and stiffness of the legs, bladder dysfunction, constipation, low back pain and impotence.

ATLL may present as a lymphoma in the skin, or lymph nodes or as a leukaemia (malignant expansion of white blood cells).

Specialist Team:
Consultants: Drs. Graham P Taylor, Sarah Fidler and Carolyn Gabriel
Clinic neurophysiotherapist: Mrs Adine Adonis
Specialist clinic nurse: Ms Alexandra Fedina
Business manager for the HTLV group: Mrs Poupak Saleh 

Location
Ground floor
Winston Churchill Wing
Praed Street
London W2 1NY 

Contacts

St Mary's Hospital
Telephone: 020 3312 6604/1521
Fax: 020 3312 6123
Email: htlv@imperial.nhs.uk