Massive intracranial hemorrhage, no history of trauma and radiographic findings that were initially interpreted as linear parietal fractures raised the possibility of nonaccidental trauma in 2 infants. Both had severe coagulopathy, 1 due to hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (vitamin K deficiency) and the other due to disseminated herpes simplex virus infection. Both infants died. At autopsy, the parietal bone abnormalities were not fractures, but proved to be an anomalous suture in 1 and a connective tissue fissure in the other.

Keywords:
Nonaccidental trauma, Parietal fissure, Skull fracture, Intracranial hemorrhage, Coagulopathy, Vitamin K deficiency, Herpes simplex virus, Connective tissue fissure
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© 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel
2001
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