Citation

Hirsch FW, Sorge I, Roth C, Gosemann JH. Radiologe 2016; 56(5): 414-423.

Vernacular Title

Unfall oder Misshandlung? Radiologische Befunde beim nichtakzidentiellen Trauma : Das Konzept der "sentinel injuries".

Affiliation

Klinik und Poliklinik für Kinderchirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Uniklinikum Leipzig AöR, Liebigstraße 20a, 04103, Leipzig, Deutschland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00117-016-0102-1

PMID

27118367

Abstract

The focus of this review article is on child abuse and the radiographic pattern of X‑ray findings. The radiologist should be able to recognize typical injuries resulting from child abuse. In some cases the findings are highly specific for abuse and these include metaphyseal corner fractures of the long bones in children aged up to 24 months. In other cases the fractures are not specific but highly indicative of child abuse: rib fractures, for example can be associated with child abuse in more than 50 % of the cases; however, maltreatment is difficult to diagnose without taking the entire pattern of skeletal findings into consideration so that a radiological screening of the entire skeleton is often necessary. The concept of sentinel injuries might be helpful for deciding in which cases a complete skeletal screening should be performed. In the age group up to 24 months old a complete skeletal status (with some exceptions) is recommended if one of the three sentinel injuries of rib fractures, intracranial bleeding and abdominal trauma is present.

Language: de