A BATTERED CHILD
CASE WITH DUODENAL PERFORATION
Yavuz MS, Buyukyavuz
I, Savas C, Ozguner IF,
Kupeli A, Asirdizer
M.
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine. 2008; 15(4): 259-62.
ABSTRACT
The battered child syndrome, a behavioral deviation exposing children to harmful,
non-accidental and preventable physical treatment of person or people who are responsible to look after them which prevents
the child’s physical, cognitive and spiritual development.
In this case report a case is submitted that he had exposed to abdominal blunt
trauma. He was 28 months old. He had been firstly applied to Isparta Child Hospital by his parents for his high fever. In
the first examination, he was conscious, his general condition was bad, there was respiratory acidosis, and neck stiffness
was present as (+/-). There were several fresh traumatic lesions on his face and left arm. Pre-diagnosis of him was defined
as meningitis and anti-biotherapy was begun. He was transported to Suleyman Demirel University Hospital after a day because
of vomiting, abdominal pain, tender, distended and silent abdomen, air-fluid levels in direct abdominal x-rays. An old fracture
of the right 9th rib was determined with chest x-ray in university hospital. Additionally abdominal ultrasound scan showed
the distended bowel loops filled with fluid and free fluid in Morrison's Pouch. Laparotomy revealed a complete rupture of
the junction of the third and fourth parts of the duodenum and several hemorrhagic regions on bowel loops. Patient was discharged
after 42nd day of hospitalization. In the medico-legal evaluation, these clinical findings were attributed to battered child
syndrome.
In this case report, all stage of the progress of medico-legal evaluation is
described.
Key words: Battered child syndrome, duodenal rupture, rib fracture.