engleski

Cumulative prevalence, clinical features and MRI findings in children with cerebral palsy in Zadar County from 2003-2010.

BACKGROUND:The prevalence of children with cerebral palsy is 2-3/1000 of live-born infants in Europe, according to Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE) CP data base. AIM:To determine the cumulative prevalence and MRI of children with cerebral palsy and associated neurodevelopmental impairments in Zadar County during period 2003-2010. METHOD:This study involved children with cerebral palsy living in the Zadar County, born from 1st of January 2003 to 31st of December 2010. Functional classification of CP, associated neurodevelopmental impairments and MRI was done according to SCPE. RESULTS:The study comprised 38 children with CP with age between 5 and 11, included in "C28 RCP-HR" Register of cerebral palsy of SCPE.Given the number of patients with CP (38) to the total number of live births in Zadar County during the eight years (13579), that makes the cumulative prevalence of 2.79/1000. 33 children were diagnosed with spastic (87%), 4 of them (10%) had dyskinetic and only one child ataxic (3%) CP. 21 children (64%) had bilateral spastic CP and 12 children (36%) had unilateral spastic CP. 50% of the total number of children with CP were prematures.MRI in most cases showed damage to the brain`s white matter (53%). Subsequently, the most frequent was the predominant damage to grey matter in 34%. Only 5% of children had brain maldevelopment, 3% miscellaneous, whereas in 5% children with CP MRI was normal. Visual disturbance was present in 53% of patients, hearing disturbance in only 2, 6%, speech disorder in 55%. 36, 8% of children with CP had epilepsy, while some degree of the intellectual deficit was present in 66% of patients. CONCLUSION:Cumulative prevalence of children with cerebral palsy in Zadar County corresponds to the rate of CP prevalence in Europe.Associated neurodevelopmental disorders are present in similar rate whereas brain malformations are represented in lower rate as well as normal MRI findings.

prevalence ; clinical features ; MRI ; children ; cerebral palsy

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