Behavioral characteristics of children with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

We explored the behavioral characteristics of 24 children with Perthes' disease. Parents completed standard psychological self-administered questionnaires regarding their child's behavior: the Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire and the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. One third (33%) of the children had abnormally high scores in profiles associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (impulsive, hyperactive, and psychosomatic categories), much higher than the 3-5% incidence of ADHD in the general population. They also tended to have difficulties with school and social interaction skills. Certain epidemiologic characteristics of Perthes' disease (sex ratio, socioeconomic status, geographic location, and associated congenital anomalies) are also similar to those of ADHD, suggesting a correlation between the two disorders.