Ocular findings at autopsy of child abuse victims

Abstract

The incidence of retinal hemorrhage in child abuse victims was studied in cadavers of children that underwent autopsy in the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. One hundred ninety consecutive cases of childrens' eyes received at Doheny Eye Institute from 1985 to 1989 were included in the study. Retinal hemorrhage is the most common form of eye damage due to child abuse and is more likely to occur in infants who have been shaken than after blunt trauma to the head. Accordingly, retinal involvement is seen more frequently in younger children. The mechanism of retinal hemorrhage is unknown, but the authors' evidence suggests that it is not a direct result of submeningeal hemorrhage. The retinal hemorrhages are found most frequently in the bipolar and nerve fiber layers. They may be severe and widespread or small, scattered foci; both forms are indicative of abuse type injury. Any child who is comatose or who has other unexplained neurologic symptoms should have a thorough eye examination with the pupils dilated with emphasis on studies of the retina.