Epidemiology of cerebral palsy in Southern Denmark.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence, subtypes, severity and neuroimaging findings of cerebral palsy (CP) in a cohort of children born in Southern Denmark. Risk factors were analysed and aetiology considered. METHODS: A population-based cohort study covering 17,580 live births from 2003 to 2008. RESULTS: The study included 43 children diagnosed with CP. The overall prevalence of CP was 2.4 per 1,000 live births (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.8-3.2). The gestational age (GA)-specific prevalence ranged from 63.5 per 1,000 live births for GA < 32 weeks to 1.3 for GA ≥ 37 weeks. Almost half of the children were born preterm and 28% were from multiple pregnancies. The prevalence of CP was 1.8 per 1,000 in singletons and 15.4 per 1,000 in multiples. Low GA and birth weight were risk factors for CP, also after stratification for multiple births. Spastic CP was the predominating subtype of CP, and 24 children (56%) were able to walk independently. White-matter lesions were the most common magnetic resonance imaging finding, and the aetiology of CP was known in 37% of cases. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of CP was slightly higher than that found in other Scandinavian studies due to its higher prevalence in the preterm group. Possible explanations include the high rate of multiple births in the background population. Neuroimaging findings were abnormal in the majority of children with CP, but aetiology could only be established in one third of the children. Primary prevention of CP is possible if the numbers of preterm births and multiple pregnancies can be reduced. FUNDING: The Danish Cerebral Palsy Follow-up Programme is supported by the foundation "Ludvig og Sara Elsass Fond". TRIAL REGISTRATION: 2008-58-0034.

[Hypercoagulability in a patient with meningioma and Factor VLeiden mutation].

A 63-year-old woman with meningioma was admitted for surgery. Preoperatively she presented with a clinical state of hypercoagulability in the large central veins visualised by ultrasound. She had no previous history of thrombosis. Surgery was postponed and by biochemical evaluation only Factor VLeiden heterozygosity was found. Weeks later the patient was readmitted for surgery. No bleeding or thrombotic complications were experienced during the operation. The observed condition might be a result of a combination of the Factor VLeiden mutation and her meningioma. Meningioma itself has not been described as a risk factor of venous thrombosis.

[Severe thrombocytopenia after diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis]. / Svær trombocytopeni i efterforløbet af dyb venøs trombose.

A patient presented with erysipelas and developed deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and later idiopatic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). In the literature we find no reports of ITP following DVT. It is well known that patients can develop HIT after DVT or DVT after ITP, both caused by the medicine used for treatment. Patients have developed ITP after heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Cases are also described in which heparin antibodies are found, but in which the final diagnosis was ITP. The diagnosis of the patient in our case story could be ITP based on DVT, but with no history of HIT. Alternatively, he could have developed two complications to an infection.

Improved prenatal detection of chromosomal anomalies.

INTRODUCTION: Prenatal screening for karyotype anomalies takes place in most European countries. In Denmark, the screening method was changed in 2005. The aim of this study was to study the trends in prevalence and prenatal detection rates of chromosome anomalies and Down syndrome (DS) over a 22-year period. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was based on data collected from the EUROCAT registry of congenital anomalies for Funen County. The registry includes information about live births, foetal deaths with a gestational age > 20 weeks and terminations of pregnancy after prenatal diagnosis of foetal anomaly (TOPFA). The study includes all foetuses/infants diagnosed with a chromosome anomaly born between 1986 and 2007 of a mother residing in Funen County. RESULTS: A total of 431 foetuses/infants had a chromosome anomaly corresponding to an overall prevalence of 35.6 chromosome anomalies per 10,000 births. This figure remained constant during the study period. Two hundred and three cases were live births (47% of total), 26 foetal deaths (6%) and 202 TOPFAs (47%). The prenatal detection rate for chromosome anomalies increased from 27% in the 1980s to 71% in the new millennium (p < 0.001). There were 235 cases with DS (55% of total cases), which yields an overall prevalence of 19 DS cases per 10,000 births. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of all chromosomal anomalies and DS did not change over time. The prenatal DS detection rate more than doubled from 1986-1989 to 2000-2007. The number of TOPFAs increased, which is consistent with a decrease in the number of live births with DS as well as in all chromosomal anomalies. FUNDING: not relevant. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.