Child Abuse: Radiographic Findings at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital
Panruethai Trinavarat MD*, Patanee O’Charoen MD**
Affiliation : * Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University ** King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross
Objective : To describe radiographic findings in physically abused children.
Materials and Methods : The physically abused children diagnosed in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital from 1998
to 2002 were retrospectively reviewed of medical records and radiographic imaging.
Result : Eighteen of 30 physically abused children had positive radiographic findings and 15 of 18 were related to head
injury. Subdural hematomas and skull fractures were the two most common findings found in 11 cases and 9 cases
respectively. Seven of 11 cases of head injury had retinal hemorrhage. Fractures other than the skull were detected in 6
patients, located at the long bones, ribs and spines. The abused children with positive radiographic findings were more
commonly found in younger infants and mucocutaneous lesions might be absent.
Conclusion : Inflicted head injury was the most common radiographic findings in the present series. Shaking-impact
mechanism was likely to play a significant role in this group of patients.
Keywords : Child abuse
