CT scan and MRI findings in a child with schizophrenia

Morphologic brain changes have long been recognized in some adult schizophrenic patients. The ready availability of computed tomographic (CT) scans and the recent advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) now permit noninvasive neuroimaging of schizophrenic patients. We describe a prepubertal schizophrenic child with neuroradiographic findings similar to those found in adult schizophrenic patients: ex vacuo enlargement of the lateral ventricles, dilatation of the third ventricle, and cerebellar abnormalities. This patient appears to be the first schizophrenic child documented to have these morphologic changes of the brain and suggests the need for further neuroradiographic studies to define the frequency and significance of structural changes that may occur in childhood schizophrenia.