Virtopsy: CT and MR imaging of a fatal head injury caused by a hatchet: A case report

Garyfalia Ampanozi; Thomas D Ruder; Ulrich Preiss; Kerstin Aschenbroich; Tanja Germerott; Laura Filograna; Michael J Thali

doi:10.1016/j.legalmed.2010.04.004

Virtopsy: CT and MR imaging of a fatal head injury caused by a hatchet: A case report

Leg Med (Tokyo). 2010 Sep;12(5):238-41. doi: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2010.04.004. Epub 2010 May 21.

Authors

Garyfalia Ampanozi¹, Thomas D Ruder, Ulrich Preiss, Kerstin Aschenbroich, Tanja Germerott, Laura Filograna, Michael J Thali

Affiliation

¹ University of Bern, Centre for Forensic Imaging and Virtopsy, Institute of Forensic Medicine, IRM, Buehlstrasse 20, CH 3012 Bern, Switzerland. Garyfalia.Ampanozi@irm.unibe.ch

PMID: 20494604
DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2010.04.004

Abstract

Hatchet blows to the human skull often cause fatal injuries. We present a case of homicide by hatchet blow that underwent CT, MRI, and autopsy examination. Skull fragmentation, fracture lines, and brain injuries were demonstrated prior to autopsy. Many of the hatchet-specific characteristics (flaking, crushing, shattering, and fracture lines) described in literature were observed in the post-mortem imaging of this case.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Autopsy / methods*
Craniocerebral Trauma / diagnosis*
Craniocerebral Trauma / diagnostic imaging*
Fatal Outcome
Female
Forensic Pathology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Skull Fractures / etiology
Tomography, X-Ray Computed*
Wounds, Penetrating / pathology*