Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Show: 20 | 50 | 100
Results 1 - 12 de 12
Filter
Add more filters










Publication year range
1.
Am J Forensic Med Pathol ; 22(1): 68-72, 2001 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11444667

ABSTRACT

The authors describe four cases of suicide by hara-kiri. This very painful form of suicide consists of self-inflicting a wound in the abdomen using a sharp instrument. It was first reported in 988 A.D. in the East but has now become rare in both the East and West. These four cases occurred over a 40-year period in the Trieste and Bari medicolegal area. In two of our cases the victims were afflicted with mental illness, whereas the other two suffered from depression. In cases of death by hara-kiri, it is important to establish a differential diagnosis between suicide and homicide; the presence of trial wounds (inflicted by the victim as a form of practice to overcome any hesitation before stabbing the abdomen with the cutting weapon) can prove very helpful.


Subject(s)
Abdominal Injuries/pathology , Suicide , Wounds, Stab/pathology , Adult , Aged , Autopsy , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Forensic Medicine , Homicide , Humans , Male , Middle Aged
3.
J Forensic Sci ; 45(4): 917-9, 2000 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10914598

ABSTRACT

The authors analyze the case of an Albanian refugee who was killed by the propellers of the outboard engine of a rubber dinghy while illegally attempting to reach Italy. The finding of multiple parallel, deep clear-cut injuries is uncommon, but highly characteristic of the object producing the lesions. These are typical and cannot be mistaken with those produced by sharp objects or shark bites. The description of the injuries is vital for establishing the position of the victim with regard to the propeller that struck him.


Subject(s)
Ships , Wounds, Penetrating/pathology , Adult , Arm/pathology , Autopsy , Cause of Death , Forensic Medicine/methods , Humans , Male
6.
J Forensic Sci ; 45(1): 208-10, 2000 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10641942

ABSTRACT

The authors describe an unusual case of suicide that required particular attention to establish whether the victim was murdered, was preparing a terrorist attack or had committed suicide. Examination of the corpse and the crime scene, as well as testimonies, led the authors to determine the real cause of death, namely, an unusual method of suicide.


Subject(s)
Explosions , Suicide , Adult , Forensic Medicine , Homicide , Humans
7.
Med Sci Law ; 40(4): 350-7, 2000 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11281358

ABSTRACT

We present a case of death caused by voluntary ingestion of non-organic foreign bodies observed at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University of Trieste. The victim was a young schizophrenic patient whose death, at first giving rise to suspicions of murder by another psychiatric patient, was found to be caused by an uncommon chronic permanence of foreign bodies at different locations of the digestive tract which suddenly evolved into a series of simultaneous lethal complications as yet never described. The case also raised the issue of possible responsibilities of the subject's healthcare providers.


Subject(s)
Aortic Diseases/etiology , Foreign Bodies/psychology , Intestinal Fistula/etiology , Intestinal Obstruction/etiology , Schizophrenia/complications , Adult , Aortic Diseases/pathology , Aortic Diseases/psychology , Fatal Outcome , Foreign Bodies/complications , Humans , Intestinal Fistula/pathology , Intestinal Fistula/psychology , Intestinal Obstruction/pathology , Intestinal Obstruction/psychology , Male
8.
Am J Forensic Med Pathol ; 20(3): 228-31, 1999 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10507788

ABSTRACT

The study of the biologic processes involved in determining the postmortem interval also can be useful for determining the time of death. In this instance, we investigated the time of death in a case of homicide-suicide using circumstantial findings and thanatochronological and flow cytometric data. The flow cytometric data confirmed the time of death as calculated from the police investigations. This method has proven more reliable than thanatochronological techniques and can be used to supplement these observations. This case indicates that the use of flow cytometry "on the spot" is useful and reliable; however, more evidence is needed to support this new, although to date very sound, method of investigation.


Subject(s)
Death , Flow Cytometry/methods , Homicide , Suicide , Adult , DNA/chemistry , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged
9.
Forensic Sci Int ; 103(1): 61-5, 1999 Jul 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10464937

ABSTRACT

The authors tested the Soluene-350 method to detect diatoms in three cases of sea water drowning. The negative results obtained in all three cases prompted us to re-test the method on samples of fresh water and sea water microalgae. The experiment showed that the siliceous frustule of sea water diatoms is solubilized by Soluene-350 while that of fresh water diatoms is resistant to the treatment. The method, which is effective in cases of drowning in fresh water, should therefore be used with caution in sea water drowning.


Subject(s)
Diatoms/isolation & purification , Drowning/diagnosis , Quaternary Ammonium Compounds , Seawater , Diatoms/drug effects , Forensic Medicine/methods , Fresh Water , Humans , Quaternary Ammonium Compounds/pharmacology
11.
Am J Forensic Med Pathol ; 19(1): 50-3, 1998 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-9539391

ABSTRACT

The time of death can be established by determining the length of the postmortem interval. Many methods have been proposed to achieve this goal. Flow cytometric evaluation of DNA degradation seems to be reliable for the first 72 hours after death. Our study evaluated the correspondence of the corruption process between in vitro and corpse tissues. We chose spleen tissue to perform our investigation because it is rich in nucleated cells. Results showed a precise correspondence between the two kinds of samples in the time period between 24 and 36 hours. The period from 36 to 72 hours is characterized by a much looser correspondence than that found in the first period. After the first 72 hours, DNA denaturation is massive and does not allow useful cytofluorimetric readings. The spleen does not seem to be the most suitable organ for this type of investigation because it tends to colliquate very rapidly. We therefore are evaluating other organs to identify a more suitable tissue source for the investigation of longer postmortem period using flow cytometry.


Subject(s)
DNA/metabolism , Flow Cytometry/methods , Postmortem Changes , Spleen/pathology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Forensic Medicine/methods , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Spleen/metabolism , Time Factors
12.
Int J Legal Med ; 111(1): 38-42, 1998.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-9457538

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes the use of radiographic magnification to detect the effects of neck traumas. This technique, both fast and economical, has proved to be particularly useful in all those cases where post mortem examinations failed to detect valid evidence of lesions of the hyoid-larynx complex. This is the case with corpses in an advanced stage of putrefaction where death occurred as a result of pressure or when a soft object is placed between the victim's neck and the assailant's hands. The radiological study was performed "on site" on four cases of medicolegal interest and its potential was confirmed.


Subject(s)
Autopsy/methods , Hyoid Bone/injuries , Larynx/injuries , Neck Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Radiographic Magnification , Adult , Female , Humans , Hyoid Bone/diagnostic imaging , Larynx/diagnostic imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Neck Injuries/pathology
SELECTION OF CITATIONS
SEARCH DETAIL
...