Common skin and bleeding disorders that can potentially masquerade as child abuse

American Journal of Medical Genetics partC seminars in Medical Genetics.

Common skin and bleeding disorders that can potentially masquerade as child abuse

 Introduction

This review documents a number of skin and bleeding disorders that can be mistaken for child abuse.  There is a detailed analysis of each condition and how it mimics child abuse.  The review cites a study of 2890 children evaluated for physical abuse reported that almost 5% of the children presented with physical abuse mimic.  There is a detailed discussion of a variety of skin and bleeding disorders which can present as suspected child abuse.  Skin lesions and bruising from child abuse is compared and contrasted to that seen in a variety of skin and bleeding disorders to aid clinicians in diagnosis.  The reviewer concludes that clinicians investigating child abuse need to be open minded in their diagnosis but must also not rule out child abuse in children with skin and bleeding disorders as the two can exist in the same child at the same time.

Publisher: Wiley Online Library

Bhavita Patel and Rebecca Butterfield, Article first published online: 26 OCT 2015, American Journal of Medical Genetics partC seminars in medical Genetics Volume 169, Issue 4.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajmg.c.31462/pdf  (PDF Text Link)

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajmg.c.31462/abstract (Abstract Link)