Anomic aphasia in childhood

Documented cases of anomic aphasia in childhood are rare, due to their low prevalence and relatively subtle clinical manifestations and because of probable referral bias. Such cases are important, however, because they may shed light on the nature of lesions that produce anomia in children and because they may contribute to our understanding of brain-behavior relations in children. This case involves a 10-year-old girl who experienced a left temporoparietal hematoma. Recovery over an 8-month period was good, with near normal verbal-expressive (Verbal IQ = 86) and normal perceptual-motor abilities (Performance IQ = 100). Reading, spelling, and repetition were preserved. Spontaneous speech was good, although initially circumlocutory and marked by obvious word-finding difficulty. Consistent with reports involving adults, there was significant disturbance in naming characterized by frequent literal and semantic paraphasias. Although she had significant difficulty on confrontational naming, she could accurately spell and read the name of the objects presented to her. This case is discussed relative to localization of lesions producing anomic aphasia and regarding the course of recovery in childhood.