Two Japanese Cases of Battered Child Syndrome with Retinal Hemorrhage

Abstract

We present 2 cases of battered child syndrome with retinal hemorrhage. Case 1 is a 6-year-old boy who was blinded in both eyes following abuse by his mother’s common-law husband. Retinal hemorrhages and optic atrophy were found in both eyes. Case 2 is a 6-month-old boy who developed dyspnea following episodes of abuse by his mother’s common-law husband. Retinal hemorrhages were visible in both fundi. We believe that retinal hemorrhage is the most frequent clinical finding in abused children and its presence should alert the ophthalmologist to suspect battered child syndrome.

Findings in Older Children With Abusive Head Injury: Does Shaken-Child Syndrome Exist?

“…Beyond a few individual case reports of retinal hemorrhages in older children, [23][24][25] documentation of SBS in children Ͼ2 years of age has been rare. Infants are believed to be particularly susceptible to SBS because of their relatively large and heavy head, undeveloped neck muscles, and small size, allowing for substantial rotational shearing forces to be generated by shaking the child while holding the child about the chest.…”