Abstract
Clinical and pathological findings of four autopsy cases of the advanced doubly-handicapped children were reported.
All of these cases were grossly mentally retarded and crippled due to cerebral palsy (three cases spastic and one case athetotic). Three cases suffered from epilepsy. There are no cases whosee parents intermarried. Laboratory findings revealed no common abnormalities: One case was hypogammaglobulinemic (0.5 mg/dl).
Neuropathological changes observed included granular atrophy of the cerebrum, status mar-moratus of the globus pallidus, focal gliosis and atrophy of the cerebellum. Two cases (case #7 and 8) were due to the pen-natal injury to the brain. One case was thought to be due to the migration anomaly during the development (case #10) and the postnatal injury (case #9).
Combined with six cases we have reported previously, three out of ten cases we examined were due to the developmental anomalies. The post-natal or pen-natal injuries were responsible in three and two cases, respectively.
Since the etiological factors of the doubly (physically and mentally) handicapped children were multiple, a large number of autopsy studies should be accumulated to guide in establishing proper medical care of these children.
