title: Usefulness and limitations of postmortem computed tomography in forensic analysis of gunshot injuries: Three case reports.
abstract: Gunshot injury has always been an important field of investigation in postmortem forensic radiology. The localization and retrieval of the bullet and of potentially important fragments are vital to these cases. Using postmortem multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) prior to forensic autopsy, we sought to illustrate the importance of this modality in the noninvasive characterization of gunshot wounds. We obtained and analyzed MDCT images in three cases of gunshot wounds (accidental close-range shotgun shooting, suicidal contact gunshot to the head and accidental long-range buckshot shooting). We discuss the value of postmortem MDCT findings in gunshot wound cases by comparing with forensic autopsy findings in Japan, a developing country with miserably low autopsy rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Image Analysis, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai 980-8575, Japan. Electronic address: t7402r0506@med.tohoku.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Usui
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Imaging, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawasumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Image Analysis, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hosokai
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Image Analysis, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kozakai
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Image Analysis, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funayama
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods; D002423:Cause of Death; D044709:Forensic Ballistics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D013405:Suicide; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Autopsy; Multidetector-row computed tomography; Penetrating; Wounds