title: Incidental occult gunshot wound detected by postmortem computed tomography.
abstract: The body of a 59 year old woman underwent postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) examination prior to forensic autopsy, using a 256 slice multidetector row computed tomography scanner. A large left tension pneumothorax detected on the PMCT was considered to be a likely cause of death and this was confirmed at autopsy. In addition there was an unsuspected PMCT finding of a probable gunshot injury traversing the right orbit, facial bones and frontal sinus. The autopsy technique was adjusted accordingly and PMCT findings confirmed. PMCT in this case was not only diagnostic of cause of death, but also revealed retained projectile fragments of an old gunshot wound to the face. Without prior imaging such findings would have been undetected at autopsy. This case further underscores the contribution of routine PMCT examination to forensic autopsy practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190/52, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland. garyfalia.ampanozi@irm.uzh.ch
authors.forename: Garyfalia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ampanozi
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schwendener
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krauskopf
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Thali
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartsch
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies; D044709:Forensic Ballistics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology