The role of 3DCT for the evaluation of chop injuries in clinical forensic medicine.
As hatchet blows to the human head frequently cause fatal injuries, the forensic examination of survivors with cranial chop injuries is a rare phenomenon in forensic casework. Besides evaluation of clinical records, photographs, and medico-legal physical examination, the analysis and 3-dimensional reconstruction of pre-treatment computed tomography data (3DCT) must be considered an important and indispensable tool for the assessment of those cases because the characteristics of chopping trauma often appear masked or changed by clinical treatment. In the present article, the role of 3DCT for the evaluation of chop wounds in clinical forensic medicine is demonstrated by an illustrative case report of a young man who was attacked with a hatchet. 3DCT provides additional possibilities for supplementing missing information, such as number and direction of blows as well as weapon identification. Furthermore, 3DCT facilitates demonstration in court and understanding of medical lay people. We conclude that 3DCT is of particular value for the evaluation of survivors of life-threatening head and face injury. An increasing significance of this technique may be expected.
Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstraße 23, 48149 Münster, Germany. Electronic address: daniel.wittschieber@ukmuenster.de.
Daniel
D
Wittschieber
Institute of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Laura
L
Beck
Institute of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149 Münster, Germany; Clinic of Radiology, Hospital Ibbenbüren GmbH, Große Straße 41, 49477 Ibbenbüren, Germany.
Volker
V
Vieth
Institute of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Maria L
ML
Hahnemann
D000328:Adult; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005151:Facial Injuries; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D054041:Weapons; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
3-Dimensional computed tomography; Chop injury; Clinical forensic medicine; Forensic radiology; Hatchet