[Congenital hemiplegia. A disease with manifold problems]

Nervenarzt. 2007 Oct;78(10):1188-94. doi: 10.1007/s00115-007-2296-y.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Congenital hemiplegia, defined as unilateral motor disability, is the hemiplegic type of cerebral palsy. The prevalence of congenital hemiplegia is estimated to be about 0.41-0.79/1000 live births. We examined 223 children (122 boys and 101 girls) suffering from congenital hemiplegia at the age of 3 months to 12 years. Mild hemiplegia was found in 31%, a moderate form in 48%, and a severe form in 21%. The upper limb was affected in more than half of the patients, only the lower extremity in one third, and both upper and lower limbs in 20%. Electroencephalographic abnormalities were found in 75.8% of the patients. The most frequent type of epilepsy was complex partial seizures (33%). Severity of the motor handicap, grade of EEG abnormalities, and the prevalence of epilepsy showed a significant correlation. The magnitude of the lesions in neuroimaging directly correlated with these three clinical variables, particularly in children with cortical and subcortical defects (84.2%). Strabismus was the most common visual impairment (17%), while hearing impairment was found in 8% of the patients. Of them, 38.3% showed no cognitive deficits, while those with severe congenital hemiplegia were found to have a lower intelligence quotient.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Brain / abnormalities
  • Brain / pathology
  • Cerebral Palsy / congenital*
  • Cerebral Palsy / diagnosis
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsy, Complex Partial / congenital
  • Epilepsy, Complex Partial / diagnosis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Mobility Limitation
  • Muscular Atrophy / congenital
  • Muscular Atrophy / diagnosis
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed