Penetration of a piece of World War II rifle grenade initially suspected as a stab wound.
The authors report the case of a 58-year-old man found dead by his son in the forest where he had gone to cut wood for winter. Initial examination showed an upper left laterocervical wound compatible with a stab wound. Radiography and autopsy performed the next day showed a piece of metal located in the left part of the occipital bone, associated with a half-ring fracture of the occipital bone and consequent diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage. Death was attributed to a spinal shock after impact at the cervicocephalic junction. Investigators returned to the scene and found a few more metal elements and also a 20-cm deep and 40-cm wide crater underneath a fire the deceased had set. Army experts concluded that the metal pieces belonged to an ATM 9 antitank rifle grenade used by the U.S. Army during World War II. Death was considered accidental, the deceased having unfortunately set a fire over the grenade.
Raul
Jean-Sébastien
JS
Institut de Mèdecine Lègale, Starsbourg, France. Jean-Sebastien.Raul@iml-ulp.u-strasbg.fr
Berthelon
Laurent
L
Tracqui
Antoine
A
Ludes
Bertrand
B
D000059:Accidents; D001344:Autopsy; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005107:Explosions; D005389:Firearms; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000209:etiology*; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals; D008875:Middle Aged; D014857:Warfare; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000175:diagnosis
D008670:Metals