Spastic diplegia in a 5-year-old girl: clinical case report

General Medicine, 2025, 27(6), 27-30.

G. Strikova, M. Bozhkova, P. Kazakov

Medical College, Medical University – Plovdiv

Abstract. Spastic diplegia is a common form of childhood cerebral palsy, characterized by increased muscle tone, affecting mainly the lower limbs. It occurs most often in prematurely born children. We present a clinical case of a 5-year-old girl with spastic diplegia, born prematurely, who has a twin sister with the same diagnosis, but with a concomitant disease of epilepsy. We follow the diagnostic process, the applied therapeutic interventions and the results of the rehabilitation. The emphasis is placed on the importance of systemic kinesitherapy (Vojta and Bobath methods, stretching, individual exercises for balance and coordination) to improve functional capabilities. The clinical case illustrates the beneficial impact of early and structured rehabilitation in a child with spastic diplegia. The observed difference in the progress of the patient presented by us compared to the GMFCS and Ashworth scales and her twin sister shows that the progress in children with spastic diplegia depends on the degree of disability, the presence of concomitant diseases, the presence of cognitive deficits.

Key words: cerebral palsy, spastic diplegia, rehabilitation

Address for correspondence: Gergana Strikova, e-mail: Gergana.Strikova@mu-plovdiv.bg