Retinal folds and retinoschisis in accidental and non-accidental head injury.
OBJECTIVE
To report the similarity of retinal findings in an infant who sustained an accidental head injury and an infant with non-accidental head trauma.


METHODS
Two male infants sustained head injuries with skull fractures. Case 1 was an accidental head injury and case 2 was a non-accidental head injury.


RESULTS
On examination, in case 1, there were four superficial retinal haemorrhages in the right fundus. The left eye had a haemorrhagic optic disc oedema with extensive retinal haemorrhages, retinal folds, and schitic cavities within the retina at the posterior pole. In case 2, the right fundus had a single blot haemorrhage at the posterior pole. The left fundus revealed optic disc haemorrhage and oedema with extensive retinal haemorrhages. There was a haemorrhagic retinoschisis with a retinal fold.


CONCLUSIONS
The two cases, one with accidental and the other with non-accidental injury, demonstrate very similar ophthalmic findings. This supports the argument that there may be no retinal signs seen exclusively in non-accidental head injury.
Watts
P
P
Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, UK. patrick.watts@cardiffandvale.wales.nhs.uk
Obi
E
E
D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis; D003444:Crush Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D041441:Retinoschisis / Q000209:etiology*; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000150:complications*