[Autism and associated pathologies. Clinical study of 295 cases involving development disorders]

Known since the first descriptions in 1943, diseases related to autism and associated disorders have incited a growing body of work. Both theoretical interrogations (what is the pathogenic role of autism?) and practical measures (management, screening) are implied. Nevertheless the frequency of autism-related disease has varied from 10 to 37% depending on the series reported. We studied the frequency of these factors in a population of children with major development disorders cared for at the Tours university hospital over a 39-month period.

We reviewed retrospectively the medial features of 295 children examined in our psychiatry and neurophysiology unit for children at the Tours center for major development disorders (based on the DSM IV diagnostic criteria) between September 1995 and December 1998. We divided these factors into 4 categories: hereditary diseases, serious medical conditions, minimal physical disorders and ante- or perinatal antecedents.

Among these 295 children, 26.5% had a proven or probable hereditary disease, 19% had a serious medical condition and 21.7% had minimal physical disorders. Among the children with a serious medical condition, 34.4% also had ante- or perinatal antecedents. Among the 33% without any medical factor, 77% also had ante- or perinatal antecedents.

Our data point out the quantitative importance of medical factors associated with major development disorders. They imply a close multidisciplinary collaboration between child psychiatrists, pediatricians and geneticists in order to identify these disorders and develop an integrated management scheme. On a more theoretical level, it appears possible to identify subgroups of children among such a population based on associated diseases and neuropsychological patterns. This dimension would be useful for research into the pathogenic mechanisms involved.