Objective: CEREBRAL PALSY (CP), a common static motor neurological disorder of childhood with wide spectrum of underlying etiologies, can be demonstrated with different neuro imaging techniques. We undertook this study to investigate the diagnosis of intracranial lesions in children with CP and its correlation between clinical deficits and neuroradiological findings. Materials and methods: In this prospective hospital-based study, the data of 120 patients with CP, aged below 19 years, referring to the neurology clinic of the Ali Asghar Pediatric hospital in Tehran was studied; data on their cranial neuroimaging findings was analyzed any possible association (s) between the gestational ages, prenatal history and neurological deficits were investigated.Results: Of the 120 patients, 72 (60%) were male; 75% were aged below 7 years. Common predisposing factors were prenatal asphyxia, LBW, prematurity and toxemia of pregnancy. Of the 120cases, 90% (107) had spastic CP, with the quadriplegic type being the most common (54%), followed by spastic paraplegia (21%); twenty-four patients (20%) had significant Preventricular Leucomalacia (PVL), a finding more common among those born pre-term. Sixteen patients had hemiplegic CP, 14of whom showed unilateral lesions on brain MRI imaging. Ten (8%) had extra pyramidal CP, a condition more common among term born infants, while six of the 10 (72%) showed significant abnormalities on the basal ganglia. CEREBRAL atrophy was seen in 60 (50%) of patients and PVL in 20%; encephalomalacia, gliosis, middle CEREBRAL artery infarcts, PVL and gliosis indicated hypoxia as a risk factor for CP. Extent of MRl lesions correlated with the severity of neurological deficits in CP lesions, which were more extensive in Quadriplegics and double hemiplegics rather than paraplegics, and among those delivered preterm as compared to those born at term.Conclusion: Radiological findings were found to be closely related to the type of CP and the neurological deficits and gestational ages of patients with brain insult; we believe that MRI is helpful in delineating the underlying etiology, extent, severity and timing of insult to the developing brain and prognostication in CP patients.

Objective: Epilepsy occurs in 12 % to 90 % of children with CEREBRAL PALSY (CP). However its clinical course is not well defined. This investigation was undertaken to study and determine the characteristics and prevalence of epilepsy in children with CEREBRAL PALSY.Materials & Methods: Of 133 children with CEREBRAL PALSY, seen between 1998 and 2001, in the pediatric neurology clinic of the Imam Reza hospital, fifty-three had epilepsy. During the same period, a group of 70 epileptic children with normal neurodevelopmental status was studied as the controls. Results: Patients with spastic quadriplegia were the most commonly affected with epilepsy. When compared with the control group, children with CP had a higher incidence of epilepsy with onset within the first year of age (52.8% vs. 18.5%), history of neonatal seizures (20.7% vs. 4.2%), and poly therapy (73.6% vs. 29.1%) respectively.Conclusion: Epilepsy is common in children with CP and can be predicted if seizures occur in the first year of life ,in the neonatal period and based on the need for polytherapy.