A case report of an autistic girl with an extra bisatellited marker chromosome

Cytogenetic examination of a 14-year-old severely retarded girl revealed a karyotype of 47 chromosomes with an extra bisatellited chromosome, a translocation between No. 22 and a chromosome in the D group. The girl had presented an early autistic syndrome beginning about 6 months of age during plastering for a congenital luxation of the hips and receding from the age of 5. In addition, she was hyperkinetic with various aggressive and auto-aggressive traits and had atypical minor epileptic fits. Data from child psychiatric examinations at 5 and 14 years are presented. The importance of giving parents information as early as possible about biological causes of mental retardation and mental illness is stressed.