By means of the continuation theorem of coincidence degree theory, we study a kind of second-order neutral functional differential equation as follows d(2)/dt(2) (u(t) - Sigma(j=1)(n)cju(t - r(j))) = f(u(t))u(1)(t) + alpha(t)g(u(t)) +Sigma(j=1)(n)beta(j)(t)g(u(t - y(j)(t)) + p(t). Some new results on the existence of periodic solutions are obtained. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.