Visceral injury in battered children: a changing perspective.
Abdominal or lower thoracic visceral injury was present in 14 of 69 children (20.3%) examined after suspected physical abuse. Of these, 10 were hemodynamically stable and examined with abdominal computed tomography (CT); four were hemodynamically unstable, taken directly to surgery, or died in the emergency room. In the group studied with CT, injuries to solid abdominal organs were most common (hepatic [n = 5], splenic [n = 3], renal [n = 1], adrenal [n = 1], and pancreatic [n = 1]) followed by pulmonary contusion or laceration (n = 2) and pneumoperitoneum due to duodenal transection (n = 1). No additional radiographic abnormalities were noted in five of these children. In the group not studied with CT, injuries to the intestinal tract and mesentery were most common (n = 3), followed by solid organ injury (hepatic [n = 1] and renal [n = 1]) and pulmonary contusion (n = 1). Intestinal, mesenteric, and pancreatic injuries were associated with a poor outcome. CT should be the examination of choice in abused children with suspected intraabdominal injury.
Sivit
C J
CJ
Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010.
Taylor
G A
GA
Eichelberger
M R
MR
D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014781:Viscera / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries