The concept and nosology of Heller's syndrome: review of articles and report of two cases.
Based on a review of 60 historical cases of dementia infantilis and its synonyms (i.e., Heller's disease, Heller's dementia, Heller's syndrome and disintegrative psychosis) and a report of 2 new cases, the concept and nosology of Heller's syndrome, the most appropriate generic name for such conditions, were studied. In the age of onset, sex ratio, symptoms and a favorable prognosis in terms of life, a group of etiologically diverse conditions called Heller's syndrome differs from adult dementias and appears classifiable in pervasive developmental disorders according to DSM-III or DSM-III-R, even though its validity as a clinical syndrome remains to be studied.
Kurita
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Division of Developmental Disorders, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Ichikawa, Japan.
D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013577:Syndrome