Citation

Suzuki A, Sugimoto M, Kokita N, Fujita S, Goh K, Shiono H, Shimizu K. Nihon Kyukyu Igakukai Zasshi 2010; 21(1): 29-34.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Do Gakkai)

DOI

10.3893/jjaam.21.29

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

We report a case of child abuse suspected by postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and revealed by following legal autopsy. A 2-year-old boy with cardiopulmonary arrest was transferred to our hospital. Mother asserted that he bumped his occipital head against the wall and then fainted. The initial hospital electrocardiogram showed asystole. The cause of injury explained by her mother seemed minor, however, cardiac rhythm remained asystole even after 30 minutes of standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Although the external investigation of his body indicated no obvious trauma, echocardiogram showed the pericardial fluid collection, which is inexplicable for his mechanism of injury. PMCT was performed and it showed abnormalities in his heart, liver, and spleen. As a consequence of these CT findings, police decided to order a legal autopsy. The autopsy further revealed that he died of bleeding due to pancreatic injury. It also revealed many old subcutaneous hematomas which suggested that the child had suffered from regular abuse. In this case, PMCT was useful as a screening tool which led to legal autopsy.