title: Self-inflicted gunshot injury simulating a criminal offence.
abstract: An extraordinary case of a young woman with a gunshot wound to her left hand is presented. A typical near-contact entrance wound at the palm of the hand, extensive soft tissue destruction including nerve and vessel injury and a large stellate exit wound at the back of the hand were diagnosed and surgically treated. The woman initially stated that she had tried to repulse the pistol when a man shot her from close-range, which is consistent with the injury findings. After questioned thoroughly, however, she confessed self-infliction using a 8 mm blank pistol. This case demonstrates that a self-inflicted injury simulating a criminal offence can be present even if very atypical features such as the use of a firearm and mutilating or defence-like injuries clearly speak against it.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Röntgenstrasse 23, 48149 Münster, NRW, Germany. Tony.Fracasso@ukmuenster.de
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fracasso
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Löhrer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karger
mesh_terms: D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D003415:Crime; D008192:Deception; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult