Association between attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and Perthes disease

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether or not there is an association between attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Perthes disease. Methods: The study included 3 groups of patients: Perthes patients, trauma patients, and orthopedic patients without Perthes disease or history of trauma. Each group was comprised of 56 males and 4 females. Patients were evaluated for present or past diseases, exposure to second-hand smoke, the age at which they had begun to walk, history of trauma prior to Perthes diagnosis in the Perthes group, weight, height and body mass index (BMI). Eighteen questions on the DSM-4 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition) ADHD checklist was used in the psychiatric evaluation of patients. The rate of ADHD was compared between groups. Results: Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder was diagnosed in 7 patients in the Perthes group, 3 in the trauma group, and 3 in the non-trauma group; and this difference was not significant (p=0.160). Conclusion: There were no significant differences in the rate of ADHD between trauma and nontrauma groups of Perthes patients, which suggests no association between ADHD and Perthes disease.