Elder Abuse: What Should Radiologists Be Aware of?

Abstract

Objectives: Imaging findings of child abuse were mostly determined through these studies. There are very few studies on elderly abuse in the literature. The aim of this study was to determine the radiologic imaging features of the consequences of abuse in elderly patients admitted to our hospital and to increase the awareness of radiologists.Methods: Forty-six patients presented to our hospital's emergency department with a complaint of physical injury and were retrospectively diagnosed with elder abuse in a 5-year period. The diagnosis of elder abuse was confirmed by integrating clinical follow-up, history, and other patient parameters, including imaging. The patients were retrospectively evaluated in terms of age, gender, reason for hospitalization, location of the bone fracture, and fracture characteristics (side, type, and location in the bone).Results: A total of 46 patients (21 female, 25 male) were included in the study. Hypertension (40 patients, 86.9%) was the most common accompanying chronic disease. Falling was the most common reason for admission; there were 35 patients (76.1%). All included patients had fractures. These most frequently occurred in the upper extremity (18 patients, 39.1%), head and neck fractures (14 patients, 30.4%), and chest fractures (12 patients, 26.1%). Long bone fractures were mostly distal and diaphyseal (60.9%). Two patients died, one was female and the other was male (4.3%). Conclusion:In conclusion, it should be noted that radiological signs of elder abuse exist. All patients examined in our study had bone fractures. The most common injury was in the upper extremity. Long bone fractures were distal and diaphyseal.