Subtle presentation of isolated brainstem injury in a child with minor head injury.
Fallen television sets can cause significant injuries in toddlers. We report the case of a child with a focal brainstem injury who presented with subtle physical examination findings, which eventually led to aspiration and airway compromise. This case illustrates the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion and performing a careful physical examination in traumatized, preverbal children who sustain an apparently minor head injury. The limitation of computed tomography studies in detecting brainstem injury is also discussed.
Lam
Samuel H F
SH
Boston Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatrics Emergency Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA. hiu-fung.lam@bmc.org
Place
Rick
R
D000059:Accidents; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000293:injuries*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010808:Physical Examination; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D013690:Television; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed