A Closer Look: Medical Conditions that Mimic Physical Abuse.

The US Department of Health and Human Services statistics indicate that cases of child maltreatment are rising. This can be an extra burden on an already strained health care system. Although a call to child protective service may be warranted, a thorough history and initial testing may be sufficient to diagnose a child abuse mimic and rule out physical abuse. This testing can help facilitate the investigation and can also prevent unneeded stress on a family. The most common presentation of physical abuse is a skin finding, typically a bruise. A detailed history and physical examination can help differentiate between physical abuse and mimics of physical abuse. Familiarity with mimics can help one in establishing a differential diagnosis and facilitate the testing for physical abuse. As skin findings may be the first indicator of abuse, this article focuses on abnormal skin findings that can mimic abuse and how to differentiate them from abuse. [Pediatr Ann. 2020;49(8):e341-e346.].