J Korean Neurosurg Soc.
2022 May;65(3):397-407. 10.3340/jkns.2021.0297.
Imaging of Abusive Head Trauma : A Radiologists’ Perspective
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- 2Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea
- 3Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- KMID: 2529584
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3340/jkns.2021.0297
Abstract
- 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.
