Abstract
SUMMARY: Unexplained SDH in infants and children is an accepted marker for AHT. It has been proposed that IVT may be the initiating event leading to the development of acute SDH, mimicking the appearance of traumatic SDH. Our study aims to investigate if nontraumatic IVT causes SDH in the pediatric population. We retrospectively identified 36 patients with IVT and reviewed neuroimaging studies for the concurrent presence of SDH. In our 36 patients with IVT, no associated SDH was observed. Even with extensive IVT, no SDH was present. Three false-positive diagnoses of IVT were identified in the setting of mastoiditis and traumatic SDH, demonstrating pitfalls in imaging. In conclusion, our findings do not support the previous AHT literature stating that IVT is associated with, or leads to, SDH in neonates, infants, or children.
ABBREVIATIONS:
- AHT
- abusive head trauma
- CECT
- contrast-enhanced CT
- CI
- confidence interval
- CVT
- cortical vein thrombosis
- FOV
- field of view
- GRE
- gradient recalled echo
- ICV
- internal cerebral veins
- IVT
- intracranial venous thrombosis
- MIP
- maximum intensity projection
- SDH
- subdural hematoma/hemorrhage
- SPGR
- spoiled gradient-recalled
- TOF
- time-of-flight
- © 2012 by American Journal of Neuroradiology