[Global developmental disorders--etiology and classification dilemmas]

We report in this paper pervasive developmental disorders. They represent a rather numerous group of severe psychic diseases of early childhood, of unknown etiology. All psychic functions are disturbed: thinking, emotions and mental functioning. Different classifications of these disorders include various terms for similar clinical conditions. So, there is a dilemma whether it is a case of special nosologic entities or different clinical conditions of the same disorder. Infantile autism, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome and atypical psychosis are described. Although prognosis is commonly unfavourable, therapy may be very helpful.