Cutaneous mimickers of child abuse: a primer for pediatricians.
The annual incidence of child abuse was estimated to be 2.8 million by the national incidence study conducted in the USA in 1993, which is a two-fold increase compared to 1986. Awareness of child abuse has been increasing since the 1960s. Although most victims of child abuse present with cutaneous lesions, many genuine skin diseases may appear as non-accidental injuries which, if not recognized, may lead to misdiagnosis of child abuse. Here, we review the most common cutaneous mimickers of child abuse in order to increase awareness of these disorders and reduce erroneous diagnosis of child abuse.
AlJasser
Mohammed
M
Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences and King Fahad National Guard Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Al-Khenaizan
Sultan
S
D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000175:diagnosis; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016108:Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica / Q000175:diagnosis; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D016114:Ichthyosis, X-Linked / Q000175:diagnosis; D011695:IgA Vasculitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D007169:Impetigo / Q000175:diagnosis; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D049328:Mongolian Spot / Q000175:diagnosis; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014582:Urticaria Pigmentosa / Q000175:diagnosis