To describe the mechanisms of abusive head trauma. To review the use and clinical indications of the neuroimaging techniques for the diagnosis of abusive head trauma. To describe the typical and atypical manifestations of abusive head injury

AHT is the leading cause of fatal head injuries in children younger than 2 years and is responsible for 53% of serious or fatal traumatic brain injury cases. AHT fatality rates are more than 20%. These patients often develop severely impairing sequelae that include developmental delays, seizures, para- or tetraplegia, ventilation dependence, deafness, blindness, or behavioral abnormalities. Outcomes are shown to be worse in patients with AHT than in those with accidental trauma. Although...

In most institutions unenhanced CT is the initial examination for children with suspected AHT. Initial CT should include soft tissue and bone settings. Volume-rendered CT images and multiplanar reformatting can increase the conspicuity of subtle fracture lines. CT of the head should be performed in all children who present signs of abuse in combination with signs of possible neurotrauma or intraocular haemorrhages. MRI is not the first imaging tool in AHT. The most important reason is a lower...

AHT is the current most appropriate and inclusive diagnostic term for infants and young children who suffer from inflicted intracranial and spinal injuries. No single lesion is diagnostic of AHT. Rather, the multiplicity of findings, including evidence of intracranial and spinal involvement, complex retinal hemorrhages, ribs and other fractures incompatible with the mechanism of trauma provided, as well as the severity and age of the findings, provide clues to the diagnosis. The radiologist...

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