The Diagnostic Significance of Clinical Characteristics and Neuroimaging Findings for Diagnosis of Children with Developmental Delay

Oh, Kwang Soo

Abstract

PURPOSE
In order to identify developmental disability and help the patients earlier, the diagnostic significance of clinical characteristics and neuroimaging findings for diagnosis of children with developmental delay was studied.
METHODS
The clinical records and diagnostic procedures including head size, gestational age, Denver developmental screening test, brain MRI, EEG, brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP), chromosomal karyotyping, and final diagnosis of 96 patients with developmental delay were retrospectively reviewed.
RESULTS
The final diagnosis of 96 children with developmental disability were cerebral palsy (41.7%), minimal cerebral dysfunction (17.7%), developmental language disorder (14.6%), autism (13.5%), and mental retardation with or without hearing impairment (12.5%), in order of frequency. Of the 40 cases with cerebral palsy, 36 cases (90%) had abnormal MRI. There was a significant difference between cerebral palsy and the others of developmental disabilities in MRI abnormality. Of the 55 EEGs, abnormal findings was shown in 26 cases (68.9%). All of the 5 patients with developmental language disorders had normal EEG, and 20 cases (68.9%) of the 29 patients with cerebral palsy showed abnormal EEG. There was a significant difference between cerebral palsy and developmental language disorder in EEG. Prematurity was in 22 cases (22.9%) of 96 patients, 16 cases (40%) in cerebral palsy, and none in autism. There was a significant difference between cerebral palsy and autism in gestational age. Microcephaly was present in 42 cases (43.7%) among 96 patients, and 2 cases (14.3%) in developmental language disorder, 24 cases (60%) in cerebral palsy. There was a significant difference between cerebral palsy and developmental language disorder in head circumference.
CONCLUSION
There was a diagnostic significant difference of head circumference and EEG, gestational age, and brain MRI for comparison of patients with cerebral palsy and developmental language disorder, cerebral palsy and autism, and cerebral palsy and the other developmental disabilities, respectively.