Identifying psychiatric disorders in children with renal disease

We gave a structured diagnostic interview to determine what psychiatric disorders were present in 15 children aged 8 to 16 years who had renal disease; eight of the children had end-stage renal disease, and the seven children in the control group had mild renal disease. We calculated the psychiatric disorders diagnosed, and compared the results between the two groups. Depression was the most common psychiatric disorder in the children with end-stage renal disease (N = 5), while anxiety disorders were the most common psychiatric problem in the group having mild renal disease (N = 4). We discuss possible explanations for the psychiatric disorders in each group, as well as future research directions.

Self-mutilation and Tourette's disorder

Tourette's disorder is a stereotyped movement disorder that carries with it the risk of self-mutilation. Two cases are presented in which children with Tourette's disorder mutilated themselves. Possible physiologic mechanisms by which self-mutilation occurs in patients with Tourette's disorder are reviewed and treatment strategies are discussed.