• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.380-384
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• 2022

Subdural hematoma in infants can be caused by abuse, and is thought to be more likely if subdural hematoma is associated with retinal hemorrhage and cerebral edema. In Japan, few doctors disagree that cases of subdural hematoma with retinal hemorrhage and cerebral edema with multiple findings on the body are more likely to have been caused by abuse rather than by household accident. On the other hand, in cases where there are no other significant physical findings, only subdural hematoma and retinal hemorrhage, there is a difference of opinion as to whether the injury was caused by an accident or abuse. The reason for this is that neurosurgeons in Japan promoted the concept that infants can develop subdural hematomas and retinal hemorrages due to minor trauma at home before the concept of abusive head trauma became known. In addition, the age distribution of subdural hematomas in Japan differs from that in other countries, with peaks at around 8 months, and the reason for this remains unclear. Therefore, the etiology of infant subdural hematoma in Japan needs to be investigated in greater detail.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.397-407
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• 2022

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is the most common and serious form of child abuse and a leading cause of traumatic death in infants and young children. The biomechanics of head injuries include violent shaking, blunt impact, or a combination of both. Neuroimaging plays an important role in recognizing and distinguishing abusive injuries from lesions from accidental trauma or other causes, because clinical presentation and medical history are often nonspecific and ambiguous in this age group. Understanding common imaging features of AHT can increase recognition with high specificity for AHT. In this review, we discuss the biomechanics of AHT, imaging features of AHT, and other conditions that mimic AHT.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
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• v.58 no.11
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• pp.1313-1316
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• 2017

Purpose: To report fundus photography using a smartphone in an infant with abusive head trauma. Case summary: An 8-month-old male infant presented to the emergency room with decreased consciousness and epileptic seizures that the parents attributed to a fall from a chair. He had no external wounds or fractures to the skull or elsewhere. However, computerized tomography of the brain revealed an acute subdural hematoma in the right cranial convexity and diffuse cerebral edema, leading to a midline shift to the left and effacement of the right lateral ventricle and basal cistern. The attending neurosurgeon promptly administered a decompressive craniectomy. Immediately after the emergency surgery, a fundus examination revealed numerous multi-layered retinal hemorrhages in the posterior pole extending to the periphery in each eye. He also had white retinal ridges with cherry hemorrhages in both eyes. We acquired retinal photographs using the native camera of a smartphone in video mode. The photographer held the smartphone with one hand, facing the patient's eye at 15-20 cm, and held a 20 diopter condensing lens at 5 cm from the eye in the other hand. Our documentation using a smartphone led to a diagnosis of abusive head trauma and to obtain the criminal's confession, because the findings were specific for repetitive acceleration-deceleration forces to an infant's eye with a strong vitreoretinal attachment. Conclusions: This ophthalmic finding had a key role in the diagnosis of abusive head trauma. This case presented the diagnostic use of a smartphone for fundus photography in this important medicolegal case.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.385-396
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• 2022

Abusive head trauma (AHT) in infants, especially acute subdural hematoma, has an extremely poor outcome. The most decisive and important finding is the appearance of a widespread low-density area on head computed tomography. This phenomenon was traditionally thought to be caused by cerebral ischemia. However, many other pathophysiological abnormalities have been found to be intricately involved. Recent studies have found that status epilepticus and hyperperfusion injures are the major causes. Another serious problem associated with AHT is cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). Many infants are reported to visit to the hospital with CPA, and its pathophysiology has not been fully elucidated. This paper examines the background of these pathological conditions and associated factors and elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms resulting in poor outcomes in AHT. In addition to the intensity of assault on the head, the peculiar pathophysiological characteristics in infants, as well as the social background specific to child abuse, are found to be associated with poor outcome.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.370-379
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• 2022

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is the most severe form of physical abuse in children. Such injury involves traumatic damage to the head and/or spine of infants and young children. The term AHT was introduced to include a wider range of injury mechanisms, such as intentional direct blow, throw, and even penetrating trauma by perpetuator(s). Currently, it is recommended to replace the former term, shaken baby syndrome, which implicates shaking as the only mechanism, with AHT to include diverse clinical and radiological manifestations. The consequences of AHT cause devastating medical, social and financial burdens on families, communities, and victims. The potential harm of AHT to the developing brain and spinal cord of the victims is tremendous. Many studies have reported that the adverse effects of AHT are various and serious, such as blindness, mental retardation, physical limitation of daily activities and even psychological problems. Therefore, appropriate vigilance for the early recognition and diagnosis of AHT is highly recommended to stop and prevent further injuries. The aim of this review is to summarize the relevant evidence concerning the early recognition and diagnosis of AHT. To recognize this severe type of child abuse early, all health care providers maintain a high index of suspicion and vigilance. Such suspicion can be initiated with careful and thorough history taking and physical examinations. Previously developed clinical prediction rules can be helpful for decision-making regarding starting an investigation when considering meaningful findings. Even the combination of biochemical markers may be useful to predict AHT. For a more confirmative evaluation, neuroradiological imaging is required to find AHT-specific findings. Moreover, timely consultation with ophthalmologists is needed to find a very specific finding, retinal hemorrhage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.4
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• pp.832-851
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• 2020

Physical abuse is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Young children, particularly in the first year of life, are most vulnerable to physical abuse. To evaluate suspected physical abuse, radiologists play a vital role by detecting radiological findings suggestive of physical abuse and differentiating them from other pathologies. This review focuses on radiologic findings, including those for fractures, abusive head trauma, spinal injury, and thoracoabdominal injury, commonly discovered in physically abused children, with special emphasis on biomechanical forces that produce injuries.