Developmental cortical anomalies in Asperger's syndrome: neuroradiological findings in two patients

Recent neuropathological and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have demonstrated developmental disturbances of neuronal migration in the cerebral cortex of autistic subjects. We report neuroradiological findings in two patients with Asperger's syndrome, a less severe variant of autism. One patient had left frontal macrogyria; the other had bilateral opercular polymicrogyria. A computer tomography (CT) scan performed on one of the patients' first-degree relatives (who had a bipolar disease) also showed cortical migration anomalies.