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Case Series
Unilateral retinal hemorrhages in shaken baby syndrome
1 Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
2 Helen Devos Children’s Hospital Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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Omi Pang
Michigan State University,
USA
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Article ID: 100045Z17OP2025
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How to cite this article
Pang O, Conley JA. Unilateral retinal hemorrhages in shaken baby syndrome. J Case Rep Images Opthalmol 2025;8(1):1–4.ABSTRACT
Introduction: Bilateral retinal hemorrhages are pathognomonic finding in shaken baby syndrome. The presumed cause of this retinal hemorrhages in the setting of shaken baby syndrome is a repeated acceleration-deceleration injury. However, given the mechanism of injury, bilateral rather than unilateral retinal hemorrhages are expected.
Case Series: We present a series of seven diagnosed cases of shaken baby syndrome in which retinal hemorrhages were unilateral.
Conclusion: Our findings along with existing evidence suggest that the presence of unilateral retinal hemorrhage should not rule out the possibility of child abuse. A comprehensive clinical assessment, including physical examination, imaging, laboratory tests, and history, remains crucial in identifying non-accidental trauma (NAT).
Keywords: Abusive head trauma, Non-accidental trauma, Retinal hemorrhage, Shaken baby syndrome
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Author Contributions
Omi Pang - Acquisition of data, Analysis of data, Interpretation of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Julie A Conley - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Interpretation of data, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Guaranter of SubmissionThe corresponding author is the guarantor of submission.
Source of SupportNone
Consent StatementWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this article.
Data AvailabilityAll relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.
Conflict of InterestAuthors declare no conflict of interest.
Copyright© 2025 Omi Pang et al. This article is distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original author(s) and original publisher are properly credited. Please see the copyright policy on the journal website for more information.
