Postmortem skin damage due to ants: description of 3 cases.
Ants postmortem actions on a dead body can result in skin damage, featuring traumatic antemortem or in limine vitae events. Three observed cases are reported here where skin damages by ants' predatory activity led us to differentiate from accidental or voluntary injuries. Described cases show how the relevant skin lesions and consequential hemorrhage due to the postmortem action of these hymenoptera can be confused with antemortem injuries.
Ventura
Francesco
F
Department of Legal Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy. francesco.ventura@unige.it
Gallo
Massimo
M
De Stefano
Francesco
F
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology*