Optic nerve sheath and retinal hemorrhages associated with the shaken baby syndrome
S. R. Lambert, T. E. Johnson and C. S. Hoyt
A 13-month-old child with the pathognomonic findings of the shaken baby
syndrome died secondary to cerebellar herniation. Pathologic examination
disclosed extensive intraocular, optic nerve sheath, and intracranial
hemorrhages, despite a paucity of external signs of trauma. Many of the
hemorrhages were old, suggesting that the child had experienced multiple
episodes of trauma. Hemorrhages of the optic nerve sheaths have not been
previously reported with the shaken baby syndrome but probably accompany
this condition frequently. Our patient's ocular hemorrhages may have
resulted from a sudden rise in intracranial pressure.
