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Microcephalus as the reason for visiting a Regional Referral Neuropaediatric Service

P. Lalaguna-Mallada, B. Alonso-del Val, S. Abió-Albero, J.L. Peña-Segura, V. Rebage, J. López-Pisón [REV NEUROL 2004;38:106-110] PMID: 14752706 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33588/rn.3802.2003339

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Volumen 38 | Number 02 | Nº of views of the article 6.707 | Nº of PDF downloads 1.418 | Article publication date 16/01/2004

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ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION The first contact between the patient and clinician takes place when the former visits because of some health problem.

PATIENTS AND METHODS We carried out a review of the clinical records of children who had visited the Neuropaediatric Service because of, among other reasons, an isolated or associated microcephalus over a period of 12 years and 9 months. Factors that were considered included whether or not there was a cephalic perimeter below p3 and evidence of encephalopathy, as well as its prenatal, perinatal or postnatal origin, functional diagnoses and the aetiological diagnosis.

RESULTS In 58 cases (0.92%) out of a total number of 6257 children the visit was due to microcephalus. The mean age at the last visit was 3.9 years. In five children (8.6%) the cephalic perimeter was not below p3. No encephalopathy was found in 20 patients (34.4%) and 38 (65.5%) were seen to have encephalopathy, 37 with a prenatal origin: nine genetic, three disruptive and 22 unspecified. Functional diagnoses were as follows: mental retardation in 29 patients, infantile cerebral palsy in 18, autistic spectrum in four and epilepsy in four. Neuroimaging studies aided diagnosis in 13 cases, i.e. 43.3% of those carried out.

CONCLUSIONS Visits to the doctor because of microcephalus, as well as in normal children, include the whole range of prenatal encephalopathies and are associated, ordered according to the frequency of occurrence, with mental retardation and with infantile cerebral palsy. Individual evaluation and clinical progression allow the orientation of each case. Neuroimaging is the most useful complementary examination for diagnostic purposes. KeywordsInfantile cerebral palsy Mental retardation Microcephalus Neuroimaging Neuropaediatrics Prenatal encephalopathy Reason for visiting CategoriesNervios periféricos, unión neuromuscular y músculo Neuroimagen Neuropediatría Neuropsiquiatría

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Microcephalus as the reason for visiting a Regional Referral Neuropaediatric Service

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