Clinical Presentations and CT Scan Findings in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Jalal Hussein Al-Khalidi, Mohammed

	Clinical Presentations and CT Scan Findings in Children with Cerebral Palsy
IRAQI JOURNALOF COMMUNITY MEDICINE
Article 1, Volume 22, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 40-47
Author
Mohammed Jalal Hussein Al-Khalidi
Abstract
Background: Cerebral palsy is non- progressive disorder of posture or movement due to a lesion of the developing brain. It is the commonest physical disability in childhood. Objective: To study the clinical, neurological abnormalities, prevalence of convulsion (epilepsy) & to asses the value of CT scans of brain in patients with cerebral palsy. Patients& Methods: It is a cross-sectional hospital based study, carried at Al-Kindy Teaching hospital out-patient pediatrics unites for the period from first of January through June 2005. A total of 91 cases (52 boys, 39 girls) with over all mean age 25.6-month range (1 month-84 month) were collected. Data were collected from their parents about age, sex, main clinical presentation, and prenatal, perinatal, postnatal history, history of convulsion. They all had clinical examination. All patients were sent to radiology department at same hospital for CT scan of brain. Results: The study revealed that boys affected more than girls (52 boys, 39 girls) with male to female ratio 1.33:1,thecommonest age group affected between 7 month-12 month (30.8%), followed by the age group between 13-24 month (20.9%). delayed milestone with hypertonia & convulsion was the commonest clinical presentation, each represent (48.3%) followed by delayed milestone with hypotonia (34.0 %), microcephaly (29.6%) & speech delay (27.4%). The commonest type of cerebral palsy was spastic form (53. 9%), followed by hypotonic form (34.0%). Convulsion was predominant in quadriplegic cerebral palsy (50%). cortical brain atrophy was commonest CT scan finding (41.7%), followed by sub cortical brain atrophy (28.6%). Cortical brain atrophy was predominant in quadriplegic cerebral palsy (27.5%).CT scan was normal in (19.8%), predominantly in hypotonic cerebral palsy (13.2%). Conclusion: The pattern of clinical presentation & prevalence of convulsion in patients with cerebral palsy in the present study are comparable to the result from studies in other clinical settings with slight variation. CT scan of brain is highly valuable in patients with cerebral palsy. Key Words: Cerebral palsy, Convulsion, CT scan
Keywords
Cerebral palsy; Convulsion; CT scan

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