title: A cause célèbre: the so-called "ballpoint murder".
abstract: Transorbital intracranial injuries are uncommon but classic ophthalmologic traumas. This report describes a case of a woman who was found dead. Postmortem examination revealed a Bic ballpoint which had penetrated her head through her right eye. Detective forces believed a murder to be the most likely cause; however, medical expert consultants indicated that a tragic accident was more likely. The case and the results of crossbow test-firing on human cadavers are presented.
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rompen
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Meek
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: van Andel
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D002423:Cause of Death; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies; D015807:Eye Injuries, Penetrating; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged