title: Case Report of a Migrating Bullet: An Unusual Cause of Postmortem Confusion.
abstract: Migrating bullets are rare sequelae of penetrating gunshot wounds. Such cases have been described in the neurosurgical literature because they can produce complications in the management of patients such as decline in neurologic status, delays in rehabilitation, and difficulties in bullet removal. In contrast, few postmortem reports have described this phenomenon. We report a case of a gunshot wound in which the projectile entered the left side of the head and traversed to the right frontal area as documented by CT scan on hospital admission. At autopsy, the bullet was noted to have migrated back to the left side of the head from where it was recovered. Medical examiners need to be aware of this unusual phenomenon of retained intracranial projectiles.
authors.affiliation: Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office, 168 Washington Street, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601.
authors.forename: Dennis J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Chute
authors.affiliation: Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office, 168 Washington Street, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601.
authors.forename: Kia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.affiliation: Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office, 168 Washington Street, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bready
authors.affiliation: Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office, 168 Washington Street, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601.
authors.forename: Eric D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Benjamin
mesh_terms: D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D044709:Forensic Ballistics; D020197:Head Injuries, Penetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: entrance wound; forensic science; gunshot wound; migrating bullet; retained projectile; wound path