Periadventitial extracranial vertebral artery hemorrhage in a case of shaken baby syndrome

J Forensic Sci. 2000 Sep;45(5):1151-3.

Abstract

We report a case of a two-month-old boy who became unresponsive in the sole custody of his father. Resuscitation efforts on route to the hospital were able to restore the infant's heart beat. However, neurologic function never recovered. Autopsy revealed massive cerebral edema, recent subdural, and subarachnoid hemorrhages, bilateral retinal hemorrhages, and cervical spine ligament hemorrhages. Separation of individual cervical vertebrae showed extensive, bilateral, periadventitial vertebral artery hemorrhages between C1 and C4, with corresponding luminal compression of the vertebral arteries. The importance of this previously unreported phenomena of periadventitial vertebral artery hemorrhage in the setting of shaken baby syndrome is discussed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Cause of Death
  • Cervical Vertebrae / injuries
  • Cervical Vertebrae / pathology
  • Child Abuse / diagnosis*
  • Forensic Medicine
  • Hemorrhage / diagnosis
  • Hemorrhage / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Spinal Cord / blood supply
  • Vertebral Artery* / injuries
  • Vertebral Artery* / pathology