NCJ Number
183737
Date Published
1997
Length
27 pages
Annotation
Diagnostic imaging can play a significant role in the assessment of child abuse; when confronted with irrefutable documentation of fractures, professionals, caretakers, and the public at large will find it difficult to deny the fractures are real, the injuries were inflicted, and the injuries are mild or appropriate for disciplining a child.
Abstract
Despite the many advances in imaging in recent years, conventional radiographs continue to be the mainstay of imaging in cases of suspected child abuse. Careful analysis of clinical data and association of these data with radiographic images have added much to the diagnosis and understanding of abusive injuries. The use of radiography, alone or in conjunction with computed tomography and ultrasound, is discussed for bone and soft tissue injuries, skull and spine injuries, intracranial injuries, and injuries to the abdominal viscera. Difficulties related to the differential diagnosis of child abuse are noted, and the need for a team approach to diagnosis due to the many manifestations of abusive injuries is stressed. 37 references and 29 photographs