Failure to obtain imaging leads to catastrophic brain injuries for child

Settlement on the eve of trial in a medical malpractice case brought on behalf of a minor against a doctor at a major Boston-area hospital. After a series of worrisome symptoms, the defendant pediatrician diagnosed the minor as suffering from cluster headaches, a very rare condition for children.  Despite this diagnosis, the pediatrician never ordered any imaging of the minor’s brain to confirm what was actually causing her symptoms. Over a year later, the child was rushed to the hospital after suffering from seizures where imaging finally revealed that she in fact had an arteriovenous malformation, which had ruptured and caused a stroke. This condition could have been diagnosed and surgically alleviated had imaging been performed earlier. The child is permanently disabled as a result of the rupture.