The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Jun 2021
Case ReportsGreen Discoloration of Human Postmortem Brains: Etiologies and Mechanisms of Discoloration.
A variety of gross discolorations of human postmortem brains is occasionally encountered and can have diagnostic implications. We describe 3 cases of green discoloration of the human brain observed on postmortem examination. Two patients who succumbed shortly after administration of methylene blue (MB) showed diffuse green discoloration that was detectable as early as 24 hours and was seen for at least 48 hours after MB administration. ⋯ In contrast, a patient with severe hyperbilirubinemia who died after intracerebral hemorrhage showed localized bright green bile stained brain parenchyma in the areas surrounding the hemorrhage. We highlight the distinct patterns of discoloration in different causes of green brain discoloration, including MB, bile staining, and hydrogen sulfide poisoning. Recognition of these patterns by practicing pathologists can be used to differentiate between these etiologies and allow correct interpretation in both the medical and forensic autopsy settings.
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Dec 2020
Case ReportsFirearm Injury From Hunting .30 Caliber Bullet Passing Through an Intermediate Target (Binoculars): A Reconstruction of Events.
This article presents the results of research relating to the ricocheting of hunting ammunition and the application of these results to the investigation of a specific gunshot death, which occurred during a hunt for boars. The scene and autopsy findings revealed that a bullet had first struck a pair of binoculars around the victim's neck before entering his body. As the investigation proceeded, however, questions were raised as to whether the shot was a direct one or a ricochet. ⋯ Experiments were conducted, which demonstrated that, although test ammunition could ricochet, the rebound fragments possessed insufficient kinetic energy to pierce the binoculars. On the basis of the experiments, it was determined that the victim had been killed by a direct shot and that the bullet had pierced the intermediate target of the binoculars before entering his body. The possibility of a ricochet producing the injuries found, that is, the victim being struck with a bullet or fragments rebounding from an obstacle, was considered unlikely.
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Jun 2020
Case ReportsCommitting Suicide With Handgun Wounds in the Head Using a Defective Firearm: About 2 Unusual Autopsy Cases.
We report 2 unusual autopsy cases with head handgun wounds using defective firearms in a suicidal context. In the first case, a 78-year-old man was found hanged from a tree, with a Lefaucheux revolver lying on the tree. In the right temporal region, there was an entrance wound with a bullet still in place, responsible for a mild cerebral contusion, without bone defect. ⋯ Most of the bullets remained along the skull vault. In each of 2 cases, the manner of death, the feasibility of suicidal gesture, and the consequences of a brain injury on the time to the occurrence of incapacity were questioned. These unusual autopsy cases underline how important it is to take into account the defective nature of firearms.
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The incidence of taking selfies and sharing them on social media as well as selfie-related dangerous behaviors is increasing, particularly among young people, also leading to selfie-related trauma and death. This study was performed to obtain epidemiological characteristics of selfie-related mortality in Italy. ⋯ Selfie-related deaths in Italy appear to be an issue and appear to be increasing. Particularly, male teenagers and young adults are at high risk for selfie-related deaths. Measures should be taken to reduce their incidence.
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Dec 2019
Historical ArticleThe Unique and Misunderstood Wound Ballistics in the John F. Kennedy Assassination.
President Kennedy sustained 2 gunshot wounds on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, while riding in the right-rear seat of the presidential limousine. The convertible top was down, and no special ballistic protection for the occupants was present. The ballistic events in the assassination and subsequent ballistic evidence were not fully understood then and continue to be misunderstood and often misrepresented today. ⋯ An understanding of the wound ballistic characteristics associated with the John F. Kennedy assassination also applies to certain contemporary bullets. Such an understanding could assist forensic pathologists in future cases in evaluating and correctly interpreting gunshot wounds associated with these types of bullets.