An extraordinary case of an intracranial foreign body after a gunshot to the head.
Intermediate targets (IT) can modify the morphology of an entrance wound, the trajectory of the bullet, and contaminate the path with fragments or material from the target. The penetration into the body of big fragments or even of an entire IT is exceptional and only rarely reported in the literature. The interpretation of a gunshot wound after contact of the bullet with IT can sometimes be very tricky as the classical morphology can be missing. The presented case is a rare example of atypical entrance wound and path due to a surprising intermediate target of a gunshot fired against the head.
University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne - Geneva, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland, Coraline.Egger@chuv.ch.
C
C
Egger
B
B
Schrag
C
C
Brunel
J A
JA
Lobrinus
P
P
Mangin
T
T
Fracasso
D000328:Adult; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000473:pathology*; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology*
D008670:Metals