Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Aug 2013
Serial neuroimaging in infants with abusive head trauma: timing abusive injuries.
The appearance and evolution of neuroimaging abnormalities following abusive head trauma (AHT) is important for establishing the time frame over which these injuries might have occurred. From a legal perspective this frames the timing of the abuse and therefore identifies and excludes potential perpetrators. A previous pilot study involving 33 infants with AHT helped to refine the timing of these injuries but was limited by its small sample size. In the present study, the authors analyzed a larger group of 210 cases involving infants with AHT to chronicle the first appearance and evolution of radiological (CT, MRI) abnormalities. ⋯ These data extend the preliminary data reported by Dias and colleagues and provide a framework upon which injuries in AHT can be timed as well as the limitations on such timing estimates.