Child Abuse Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Child Abuse, including details on family violence, examinations, long-term effects, psychiatrics disorders.

A child with raccoon eyes masquerading as trauma.

Gumus K

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Erciyes University, Melikgazi, Kayseri, Turkey. drkorayg@hotmail.com

Raccoon eyes are easily recognized and generally believed to be a common symptom of basal skull fractures. However, it may be a sign of some health threatening situations such as amyloidosis, Kaposi's sarcoma, multiple myeloma, and neuroblastoma. In this case, we present an infant with the final diagnosis of neuroblastoma who presented with raccoon eyes and was initially suspected of being a victim of child abuse. The exact diagnosis of this condition is sometimes delayed because of the workup for child abuse or trauma as occurred in the present case. Consequently, in order to avoid this conflict and possible delay of diagnosis and treatment, raccoon eyes should be considered meticulously and one should not be prejudiced until he / she reaches the exact diagnosis. We are presenting this well-known but interesting case in order to attract attention in this important issue once again.

Published 7 November 2007 in Int Ophthalmol, 27(6): 379-81.
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