Pathology of retinal hemorrhage in abusive head trauma

Abusive head injury, characterized by repeated acceleration-deceleration forces, is associated with retinal hemorrhages as demonstrated in many clinical and postmortem studies. The theory that vitreoretinal traction is the major factor in the pathogenesis of retinal hemorrhages is presently the most widely accepted explanation based on different lines of research. Postmortem examination of the eye and orbital structures is essential for recognizing abusive head injury and also for identifying other possible medical conditions which can cause retinal hemorrhage.