The most optimum imaging modality for diagnosis of shajjah hurt in medicolegal cases of head injuries.

Abstract

Objective: To compare the optimum imaging modality to assess the various kinds of Shajjah hurt in MLE cases of head injuries. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Gambat Medical College at Pir Abdul Qadir Shah Jeelani Institute of Medical Sciences, GAMBAT. Period: March 2021 to February 2022. Material & Methods: Medicolegal cases of head injuries of all age groups (infant to old) and of either gender presented to the Emergency department for treatment and medicolegal certification were included. 164 medicolegal cases of moderate to severe head injuries were included based on Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 12 or less. Injuries were categorized according to age, gender, kinds of Shajjah and modality with which the type of Shajjah hurt was diagnosed. Results: X-Rays failed to detect Shajjah hurt in at least one-fourth of the cases. X-Rays misdiagnosed 5 cases of Munaqillah, 48 cases of Ammah, and 21 cases of Damighah as Shajjah e Hashimah. X-rays also misdiagnosed the 16 cases of Shajjah e Ammah and 7 cases of Shajjah e Damighah as Shajjah e Munaqillah (fracture with dislocation). CT scan accurately diagnosed 16 (9.76%) cases as Shajjah hashimah, 20 (12.2%) as Shajjah Munaqillah, 79 (48.17%) as Shajjah Ammah, and 49 (29.88%) as Shajjah Damighah. Conclusion: In comparison to X-ray, CT scan had superior performance in correctly assigning the type of Shajjah hurt.