TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1997//
TI  - Cervical spine MRI in abused infants
JO  - Child abuse and neglect
A1  - Feldman, Kenneth W.
A1  - Weinberger, E.
A1  - Milstein, J. M.
A1  - Fligner, C. L.
SP  - 199
EP  - 205
VL  - 21
IS  - 2
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To determine clinical utility of screening with cervical spine MRI to detect unsuspected cord injury in children with head injury from child abuse. DESIGN: Prospectively collected case series. Setting-Tertiary care children's hospital and county medical examiner's office. PATIENTS: Twelve children with intracranial injury secondary to child abuse. None was clinically suspected to have cord injury. Includes all eligible children whose attending felt: (a) needed follow-up cranial imaging: (b) could be safely imaged; and (c) whose caretakers consented between November, 1991 and September, 1994. INTERVENTIONS: MRI scans of the cervical spine were obtained either more than 3 days after clinical presentation or postmortem. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical observations by neurologist, child protection team pediatrician and medicinal examiners by prospective protocol. MRI scans evaluated by prospective radiology protocol with emphasis on cervical cord injury. RESULTS: Four of the five autopsied children had small subdural or subarachnoid hemorrhages at the level of the cervical spine; MRI scan did not identify them. MRI did not identify cord injury in any child studied. CONCLUSION: Routine cervical spine MRI scans are probably not warranted in children with head injury secondary to child abuse without clinical symptoms of cervical cord injury.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0145-2134
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -