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Use of postmortem computed tomography to reveal an intraoral gunshot injuries in a charred body

Authors :
Rie Sano
Keiko Takahashi
Takehiro Shimada
Susumu Kobayashi
Satoshi Hirawasa
Youichiro Takahashi
Hiroyuki Takei
Yoshihiko Kominato
Sachiko Awata
Hidenori Otake
Source :
Legal Medicine. 13:286-288
Publication Year :
2011
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2011.

Abstract

A 53-year-old man was found dead after a fire at his residence had been extinguished. Although a pistol was recovered beside the body, external examination was unable to indicate any gunshot wound because of severe charring of the body. Postmortem computed tomography (CT) scan performed prior to autopsy suggested an entrance gunshot wound in the posterior pharynx with loss of soft tissue and an internal bullet path through the right anterior and posterior parts of the occipital bone. Autopsy revealed an entrance gunshot wound with hemorrhage in the soft tissue of the posterior pharynx, massive contusion of the right occipital lobe, and subarachnoid hemorrhage in the right temporal lobe, both occipital lobes and the superior surface of the left cerebellar hemisphere, thus being consistent with the findings of postmortem CT. A carboxyhemoglobin concentration of 5% in blood from the cadaver was consistent with the lack of soot deposition from the larynx to the bronchus. These observations confirmed that death had been caused by an intraoral gunshot resulting in severe brain damage, before the body had been burned.

Details

ISSN :
13446223
Volume :
13
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Legal Medicine
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....74d0aae0d13119b27f026eaf14e0fd84
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2011.07.004