ABSTRACT

Abusive head trauma is a serious type of child abuse that causes skull and brain damage as a result of the child being violently shaken and/ or exposed to blunt trauma. It is most often seen in children under the age of 2, including those under the age of 5. Classic triad finding; It is the simultaneous occurrence of subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage and encephalopathy. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations at autopsy are crucial in determining the cause of death and the age of the lesions in cases resulting in death. While these examinations confirm the macroscopic diagnosis, they also enable the determination of macroscopic findings and the age of the trauma. Determining a protocol specifically for central nervous system examinations in cases of suspected child abuse and sampling by this standard approach will make significant contributions to the proper functioning of justice.

Keywords: Child abuse, head trauma, retinal hemorrhage, forensic pathology