Shaken adult syndrome: Report of 2 cases

IMPORTANCE: To establish that the intracranial and ophthalmologic findings present in victims of abusive head trauma can also be seen in shaken adults. OBSERVATIONS: We report 2 cases of shaken adults with intracranial and ophthalmologic findings that resulted from repetitive acceleration-deceleration injury. These findings included intracranial hemorrhages, hemorrhages involving the optic nerve sheath, intraretinal and subretinal hemorrhages, and macular folds. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The intracranial and ophthalmologic findings that are characteristic of abusive head trauma-subdural hemorrhages, optic nerve sheath hemorrhages, and retinal hemorrhages-are generally thought to be limited to young children and infants. Adults may also be victims of shaking abuse, and an ophthalmic examination may be beneficial when shaking is suspected.