Violence against children and adolescents: the importance of knowledge of the spectrum of bruise colors in its diagnosis

Resumo

One of the violence types more observed against children
is the physical abuse, which produces many types of traumatic
injuries. Contusions are common trauma signs and may indicate
aggression when frequently present in locations where accidental
injuries are rare. Contusions in skin undergo color changes with
the passage of time, and such change in color is called “spectrum of
bruise colors of Legrand du Saulle”. Thus, it is possible to estimate
the age of the lesion based on the evaluation of color. Injuries caused
by child abuse often reach regions of head, face and neck, because
they are exposed and easily accessible. Therefore, the dentist is
responsible with regard to the diagnosis and the actions to be
undertaken against the cases of child abuse. Objective: To present
and discuss the significance of the spectrum of bruise colors as a
considerable visible trace in suspicion of violence against children
and adolescents, during dentists’ clinical routine. Literature review:
The study of the “spectrum of bruise colors of Legrand du Saulle”
refers to the estimation of the age of the injury, in respect to the
color change. The application of this study is of great value for identify if a lesion occurred from a single incident or from multiple
incidents, especially in cases where it occurs in the same region of
the body, indicative of repetitive trauma. Conclusion: The spectrum
of bruise colors is very important for health professionals, such as
dentists, for the identification or suspicion of cases of abuse against
children and adolescents. As great part of the lesions originated of
abuse involve the areas of head and neck, it is unacceptable that
these professionals are unaware of the basic signs to help in early
diagnosis, which is the case of the colors of the lesions. However,
concerning the chronology of the spectrum of bruise colors, it is not
possible to establish rigorous times.