Streeten, MD, Eye Pathology Laboratory We also describe a unique

Streeten, MD, Eye Pathology Laboratory. We also describe a unique type of hemorrhage that may be associated with abusive head trauma. Finally,

we report unique ocular findings on autopsy of 2 survivors who died 2 years after abusive head trauma diagnosis. This monocenter, retrospective, case-control series was reviewed at the Barbara W. Streeten, MD, Eye Pathology Laboratory at the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York over a 21-year period (1994–2014). This study met Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act selleck inhibitor requirements for research on decedents. Institutional review board review was waived by the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University Institutional Review Board, as the research did not involve information about living individuals. One hundred and ten autopsy eyes from 55 cases suspicious VRT752271 price for child abuse were examined. All eyes were formalin-fixed before gross and histopathologic examination (A.B.G.). Their eye pathology reports were retrospectively tabulated (M.P.B., K.H.U.) for the following findings: subdural hemorrhage

in the optic nerve sheath, intrascleral hemorrhage, any retinal hemorrhage, hemorrhage extending to the ora serrata, cherry hemorrhage, perimacular ridge, and internal limiting membrane (ILM) tear (separated/detached from retina). Photomicroscopy was performed using the Olympus D28-CB apparatus (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used for 1 autopsy specimen sample. It required fixation in glutaraldehyde, post-fixation

in osmium tetroxide, ethanol dehydration, infiltration with propylene oxide, and embedding before imaging by means of a Tecnai 12 BioTwin transmission electron microscope (Field Emission Incorporated, Hillsboro, Oregon, USA). Statistical analysis was performed by hand for odds ratios, proportion calculations, and population estimations, as well as TCL using Microsoft Excel 2011 (Microsoft Inc, Seattle, Washington, USA) for independent t tests. The pathologic data and findings were analyzed with respect to the medico-legal and clinical history. Based on histopathologic, clinical, and legal findings, each case (n = number of eyes) was placed in 1 of 3 causal groups: “abusive head trauma” (n = 60), “abusive head trauma survivor” (n = 4), and “alternative cause” (n = 46). All abusive head trauma cases, except 1, were legally verified by confession or conviction. With abusive head trauma survivor eyes, both cases involved severe, documented, nonaccidental shaking at least 2 years prior to death with significant neurologic and visual deficits; ultimate causes of death were most likely from indirectly related, chronic sequellae of the initial abuse. The alternative cause group was composed of eyes inconsistent with abusive head trauma, including suffocation, drowning, other bodily trauma, and sudden infant death syndrome/unknown.

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