Gunshot wounds in parenchymatous organs: the morphology mainly depends on the physical properties of the affected tissues.

In contrast to gunshot wounds in skin and bone, the medico-legal literature pays little attention to the appearance of bullet penetration sites in abdominal organs. It was only in 1983 that Metter and Schulz published an article entitled "Morphological features of gunshot wounds in the liver and spleen." According to their observations, the organs in question showed stellate tears at the bullet penetration sites resembling skin wounds from contact shots to body regions having a bony support. The study presented simulated the real conditions by means of test shots to composite models consisting of porcine organs embedded in ballistic gelatin. The ammunition used was pistol cartridges 9 mm Luger with full metal jacket round nose bullets. The shots were video-documented with a high-speed camera in order to record the bullet's travel through the target. In addition, the composite models fired at underwent CT examinations followed by a macroscopic assessment of the organs. The study confirmed the findings of Metter and Schulz with regard to the star-like appearance of gunshot wounds in the liver and spleen. Likewise, the kidney showed radiating tears originating from the bullet path, whereas the wound track in pulmonary tissue was tube-shaped and lacked additional cracks. The varying wound patterns in parenchymatous organs can reasonably be explained as a consequence of the respective viscoelastic tissue properties.

Observation of transverse polarization asymmetries of charged pion pairs in e+e- annihilation near √s = 10.58 GeV.

The interference fragmentation function translates the fragmentation of a quark with a transverse projection of the spin into an azimuthal asymmetry of two final-state hadrons. In e(+)e(-) annihilation the product of two interference fragmentation functions is measured. We report nonzero asymmetries for pairs of charge-ordered π(+)π(-) pairs, which indicate a significant interference fragmentation function in this channel. The results are obtained from a 672 fb(-1) data sample that contains 711 × 10(6) π(+)π(-) pairs and was collected at and near the Υ(4S) resonance, with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider.

Complex suicide by ethanol intoxication and inhalation of fire fumes in an old lady: interdisciplinary elucidation including post-mortem analysis of congener alcohols.

An 88-year-old woman committed suicide by drinking a toxic amount of highly concentrated alcohol and setting two rooms of her flat on fire. As there was not enough oxygen, the fire went out, however. At autopsy, no thermal lesions were found on the body, but soot depositions in the airways and a COHb value of 14% pointed to the inhalation of fire fumes. The ethanol concentration in femoral blood was 6.62 per mille. The gastric mucosa was fixed by the ingested alcohol and showed hardly any autolytic changes despite a post-mortem interval of five days. Congener analysis of the gastric contents and the femoral blood indicated the uptake of a fruit distillate or its foreshot.

Tooth aspiration: its relevance in medicolegal autopsies.

Tooth aspiration in adulthood is an uncommon autopsy finding. The paper presents two cases in which maxillary incisors had been avulsed and inhaled during hospital treatment and in the course of maxillofacial trauma, respectively. In the first case, repeated attempts to remove the aspirated tooth by means of flexible bronchoscopy led to perforation of the bronchial wall with consecutive bleeding into the deep airways and fatal asphyxia. In the second case, the fact of tooth aspiration remained undetected throughout the 3-day survival time until death from craniocerebral trauma. The paper points out the forensic aspects of tooth aspiration against the background of the relevant clinical literature.

[Lethal bleeding after accidental swallowing of a wooden meat skewer]. / Verblutungstod nach akzidentellem Verschlucken eines Holzspiesses.

Fistulas into the large vessels are a rare cause of intestinal bleeding. In some cases they are caused by transmural perforation after the accidental swallowing of a sharp foreign body like a bone or a fish bone. We report about a 79-year-old patient who had swallowed a fragment of a wooden meat skewer which induced a perforation of the oesophagus and aorta walls. The patient was admitted to the hospital with signs of severe gastrointestinal bleeding. The emergency endoscopic examination confirmed the cause of the bleeding, but the patient died during the intervention from haemorrhagic shock. The forensic autopsy confirmed the clinical suspicion of an aorto-oesophageal fistula.

Toxicological analysis after asphyxial suicide with helium and a plastic bag.

A 23-year-old man was found on a raised hide in lying position, the head wrapped in a plastic bag connected with a helium gas cylinder by a polypropylene tube. The autopsy did not show any specific findings nor did the routine toxicological analysis reveal significant information regarding the cause of death (BAC 0.9 mg/g, diphenhydramine 0.81 microg/ml in heart serum). For the detection of helium in the lungs, gas samples from both lungs were collected by a method ensuring minimal dilution. Gas analyses were performed using a GC-MS with a split-splitless injector and a headspace syringe. As carrier gas the commonly used helium was replaced by nitrogen. Helium was found in clearly elevated concentrations in gas samples from both lungs. Therefore, suffocation by breathing helium enriched, and thus oxygen deficient atmosphere, can strongly be assumed as the cause of death.

A case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy with subsequent suicide of the mother.

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a subtle and difficult to diagnose form of child abuse in which the carer (usually the mother) simulates, manipulates or produces symptoms of illness in the victim. In most cases the detrimental effect is caused by applying foreign substances or by airway obstruction. In the presented case a 20-month-old girl developed a spreading soft-tissue infection resistant to treatment on the left upper arm after vaccination, which required a number of surgical interventions. Repeatedly, microorganisms from the intestinal flora were isolated from the wound secretion. After the girl suffered respiratory and circulatory arrest, which required resuscitation measures, chemical toxicological tests revealed not medically prescribed benzodiazepines in serum and urine. When the mother, a trained nurse, was confronted with the allegation to have manipulated the symptoms of the illness she committed suicide. The forensic autopsy of the suicide produced numerous hints suggesting chronic self-damaging behaviour described as Munchausen syndrome. This case shows a number of manipulation forms with the maintenance of a chronic skin and soft tissue infection belonging to the rarer forms of inflicting damage to the child. It also illustrates that confrontation with the allegation of Munchausen syndrome by proxy creates a very stressful emotional situation that may lead to a suicidal act.

Contact shot with unusual soot pattern.

In a suicidal shot to the temple two roundish zones of powder soot blackening were found above the entrance wound. The paired zones of powder soot blackening were caused by two gas outlets located on the upper side of the muzzle end of the weapon used (converted blank cartridge pistol of make Rhöner). The conclusions that can be drawn from this particular soot pattern with regard to the type of the weapon, the muzzle-to-target distance, the direction of fire and the way of holding the weapon are discussed.