ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders. The prevalence of ASD in many South Asian countries is still unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically review available epidemiological studies of ASD in this region to identify gaps in our current knowledge. METHODS: We searched, collected and evaluated articles published between January 1962 and July 2016 which reported the prevalence of ASD in eight South Asian countries. The search was conducted in line with the PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: We identified six articles from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka which met our predefined inclusion criteria. The reported prevalence of ASD in South Asia ranged from 0.09% in India to 1.07% in Sri Lanka that indicates up to one in 93 children have ASD in this region. Alarmingly high prevalence (3%) was reported in Dhaka city. Study sample sizes ranged from 374 in Sri Lanka to 18,480 in India. The age range varied between 1 and 30 years. No studies were found which reported the prevalence of ASD in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. This review identifies methodological differences in case definition, screening instruments and diagnostic criteria among reported three countries which make it very difficult to compare the studies. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is an attempt at understanding the scale of the problem and scarcity of information regarding ASD in the South Asia. This study will contribute to the evidence base needed to design further research and make policy decisions on addressing this issue in this region. Knowing the prevalence of ASD in South Asia is vital to ensure the effective allocation of resources and services.
Subject(s)
Asian People/psychology , Asian People/statistics & numerical data , Autism Spectrum Disorder/epidemiology , Bangladesh/epidemiology , Humans , India/epidemiology , Sri Lanka/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Kikuchi Fujimoto Disease (KFD) can present with dysphasia, fever and lymphadenopathy. A young Bangladeshi girl presented with fever, cervical lymphadenopathy, dysphasia, weight loss and skin rash. Antitubercular drugs were given on clinical judgement, with no improvement after one month. Later, fine needle aspiration and histopathology of Lymph Node suggested KFD. Computerized Tomography (CT) scan of neck revealed enlarged retropharyngeal lymphnode (LN) causing pharyngeal narrowing. Oral Prednisolone was given showing improvement and no relapse was encountered. KFD may present with dysphasia uncommonly along with fever and lymphadenopathy. Awareness of this disorder by clinicians and pathologists will help prevent misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
