Retinal hemorrhage and brain injury patterns on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in children with head trauma.

Publication/Presentation Date

12-1-2013

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate associations between retinal hemorrhage severity and hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HII) patterns by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in young children with head trauma.

METHODS: DW-MRI images of a consecutive cohort study of children under age 3 years with inflicted or accidental head trauma who had eye examinations were analyzed by two independent masked examiners for type, severity, and location of primary lesions attributable to trauma, HII secondary to trauma, and mixed injury patterns. Retinal hemorrhage was graded retrospectively on a scale from 1 (none) to 5 (severe).

RESULTS: Retinal hemorrhage score was 3-5 in 6 of 7 patients with predominantly post-traumatic HII pattern and 4 of 32 who had traumatic injury without HII (P < 0.001) on DW-MRI imaging. Severe retinal hemorrhage was observed in absence of HII but only in inflicted injury. Retinal hemorrhage severity was correlated with HII severity (ρ = 0.53, P < 0.001) but not traumatic injury severity (ρ = -0.10, P = 0.50). HII severity was associated with retinal hemorrhage score 3-5 (P = 0.01), but traumatic injury severity was not (P = 0.37).

CONCLUSIONS: During inflicted head injury, a distinct type of trauma occurs causing more global brain injury with HII and more severe retinal hemorrhages. HII is not a necessary factor for severe retinal hemorrhage to develop from inflicted trauma.

Volume

17

Issue

6

First Page

603

Last Page

608

ISSN

1528-3933

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Pediatrics

PubMedID

24215807

Department(s)

Department of Pediatrics

Document Type

Article

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