The medical assessment of seriously delinquent boys: a comparison of pediatric, psychiatric, neurologic, and hospital record data.

This study documents a high prevalence of medical disorders, especially head and face injury, seizures, and other neurological problems in violent incarcerated adolescent delinquents. It documents the failure of three different medical specialities--pediatrics, psychiatry, and neurology--to consistently elicit significant potentially treatable disorders during routine evaluations. It explores possible causes for overlooking significant medical factors in these youngsters and proposes ways to improve the health evaluations of delinquent adolescents.