Arterial dissection and stroke following child abuse: case report and review of the literature

Internal Carotid Dissection as the Cause of Stroke in Childhood

Internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection is a cause of stroke, but it is often underdiagnosed in children. ICAs' risk factors and pathogenic mechanisms are poorly understood, and the treatment is still empirical. We report the case of a previously healthy 9-year-old girl who presented with involuntary hypertonic closure of the right hand associated with transient difficulty for both fine movements of the right arm and speech. She had a history of minor cervical trauma occurring 20 days prior to our observation without other associated risk factors. Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography showed ischemic lesions due to the left ICA dissection. Treatment with both acetylsalicylic acid and levetiracetam allowed recanalization of the ICA associated with the resolution of clinical signs. Our clinical case suggests that the ICA dissection must be suspected early whenever a child manifests mild neurologic deficits after a cervical trauma, especially if they are associated with headache and/or cervical pain. Moreover, the management of ICA dissection must be improved.

Imaging Review of Common and Rare Causes of Stroke in Children

Vascular injury is increasingly recognized as an important cause of mortality and morbidity in children (29 days to 18 years of age). Since vascular brain injury in children appears to be less common than in adults, the index of suspicion for vascular brain injury is usually lower. In this review article, we describe frequent and rare conditions underlying pediatric stroke including cardioembolic, viral, autoimmune, post-traumatic, and genetic etiologies. Furthermore, we provide a neuroimaging correlate for clinical mimics of pediatric stroke. This review highlights the role of multimodal noninvasive neuroimaging in the early diagnosis of pediatric stroke, providing a problem-solving approach to the differential diagnosis for the neuroradiologist, emergency room physician, and neurologist.

Internal carotid artery dissection without intracranial infarct following a minor shoulder trauma: The second pediatric case and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Carotid artery dissections may occur in severe trauma such as motor vehicle accidents or may also develop due to minor trauma. We aimed to present a case with internal carotid artery dissection that referred to the pediatric neurology department due to speech impairment after minor shoulder trauma.

CASE

A previously healthy 10-year-old male patient was admitted to the pediatric emergency clinic due to headache, vomiting and speech impairment. In his story, we learned that he had bumped shoulder to shoulder with his friend about 6 h ago. He did not fall or hit his head. On his admission he could not speak and had right central facial paralysis. There was no infarct or diffusion limitation in MRI but MR angiography showed thinning in left internal carotid artery calibration. Fat-suppressed, non-contrast T1-weighted MRI showed that the left carotid artery had ring-shaped pathological signal changes. Low-molecular-weight heparin therapy was initiated with the diagnosis of carotid artery dissection (CAD). No hemiparesis or hemiplejia occurred in the follow-up of the patient. Within a few days, his speech improved. At the end of the first month, facial paralysis completely recovered.

CONCLUSION

In carotid artery dissections, prodromal symptoms such as transient ischemic attack, like in our patient, are rarely present in children. For good long term outcomes, it is very important to suspect, diagnose and initiate appropriate treatment in a rapid manner in carotid artery dissection before severe neurological findings such as acute ischemic stroke develops.

Carotid Artery Dissection With Associated Territory Stroke After a Minor Head Trauma in a Healthy 4-Month-Old Child

Internal carotid artery (ICA) dissections with associated stroke are rare events in infants. The usual pathomechanisms include direct trauma to the artery, blunt intraoral trauma, or child abuse. We describe the case of a 4-month-old male patient with ICA dissection and associated middle cerebral artery territory infarction associated with hyperextension/hyperrotation after a minor head injury. Upon treatment with anticoagulants, the patient showed significant improvement of the left-sided hemiparesis. Hemorrhagic transformation that presented shortly after middle cerebral artery infarction did not further increase under heparin treatment and prevented further embolism. In conclusion, hyperextension and/or hyperrotation in minor head trauma is a possible pathomechanism for ICA dissection in infants. However, the scenario is extremely rare, and to our best knowledge, this is the first report describing it. In our patient, anticoagulation did not worsen hemorrhagic transformation.

Distraction Injury of the Thoracic Spine With Spinal Cord Transection and Vascular Injury in a 5-Week-Old Infant Boy: A Case of Child Physical Abuse

Distraction injury of the spine with spinal cord transection and adjacent vascular injury is rarely described in the setting of child physical abuse. We report a 5-week-old infant boy who sustained these injuries after an abusive event. The clinical presentation, imaging findings, and recommended evaluation modalities are discussed. An overview of pediatric spinal column and vascular injuries secondary to physical abuse is given.

Posttraumatic carotid artery dissection in children: not to be missed!

BACKGROUND

Post-traumatic carotid artery dissection (PTCAD) may result in acute arterial ischemic stroke (AIS). Pediatric PTCAD is rarely diagnosed prior to onset of neurological symptoms. We report on neuroimaging findings in a series of children with PTCAD.

METHODS

Five children with head or neck trauma were included in this study. Clinical histories were reviewed for mechanism of trauma, symptoms, complications, therapy, and outcome. Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and CT/MR angiography (CTA, MRA) studies were retrospectively evaluated for signs and complications of PTCAD and presence and extent of skull base fractures.

RESULTS

PTCAD was located at the level of the skull base in all children and was associated with a skull base fracture in two. The diagnosis was made in five children by combined MRI/MRA and in two by CTA. Air in the carotid canal suggested skull base injury with PTCAD in two children. PTCAD was complicated by AIS in three children.

CONCLUSION

PTCAD may result from neck and head trauma. To avoid secondary AIS, radiologists should be familiar with neuroimaging findings in children, especially as acute PTCAD may initially be clinically silent. Consequently, pediatric neuroradiologists should actively exclude PTCAD in children with head and neck trauma.

Retinal haemorrhages and related findings in abusive and non-abusive head trauma: a systematic review

AIM

To report the retinal signs that distinguish abusive head trauma (AHT) from non-abusive head trauma (nAHT).

METHODS

A systematic review of literature, 1950-2009, was conducted with standardised critical appraisal. Inclusion criteria were a strict confirmation of the aetiology, children aged <11 years and details of an examination conducted by an ophthalmologist. Post mortem data, organic disease of eye, and inadequate examinations were excluded. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine odds ratios (OR) and probabilities for AHT.

RESULTS

Of the 62 included studies, 13 provided prevalence data (998 children, 504 AHT). Overall, retinal haemorrhages (RH) were found in 78% of AHT vs 5% of nAHT. In a child with head trauma and RH, the OR that this is AHT is 14.7 (95% confidence intervals 6.39, 33.62) and the probability of abuse is 91%. Where recorded, RH were bilateral in 83% of AHT compared with 8.3% in nAHT. RH were numerous in AHT, and few in nAHT located in the posterior pole, with only 10% extending to periphery. True prevalence of additional features, for example, retinal folds, could not be determined.

CONCLUSIONS

Our systematic review confirms that although certain patterns of RH were far commoner in AHT, namely large numbers of RH in both the eyes, present in all layers of the retina, and extension into the periphery, there was no retinal sign that was unique to abusive injury. RH are rare in accidental trauma and, when present, are predominantly unilateral, few in number and in the posterior pole.

Pediatric traumatic carotid, vertebral and cerebral artery dissections: a review

Traumatic cerebral dissections are rare but potentially dangerous conditions that through improved diagnostics have recently gained increased interest. However, there is still a significant lack of knowledge on the natural history, as well as on the best treatment options. Most of the literature on this topic consists of case reports and retrospective studies with no prospective randomized controlled studies. In our review, we highlight the fact that there is no level 1 evidence for the natural history of cerebral dissections or for the best treatment. We present 26 case studies derived from 70 pediatric patients affected by dissections, occlusions, and pseudoaneurysms.

Intracranial vertebral artery dissection with subarachnoid hemorrhage following child abuse

Child abuse is often suspected based on particular patterns of injury. We report a case of intracranial vertebral artery dissection with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in a 3-month-old boy following child abuse. The mechanisms of injury and the clinical and imaging findings are discussed. This particular pattern of injury has rarely been reported in association with child abuse. We hope to raise physician awareness of child abuse when faced with these imaging findings.