Determining the Gun shot Entry and-Exit wound on Skulls by using Post-mortem Computed Tomography Techniques

Authors

  • Hidayat Ur Rehman Associate Professor, Forensic Medicine Department, Muhammad Medical College, Peshawar
  • Ghulam Mohyuddin Forensic Medicine, Mohammad (Al-Razi) Medical College Peshawar
  • Muhammad Yousaf Forensic Medicine Department, Khyber Medical College, Peshawar
  • Faqir ullah Forensic Medicine Department, Khyber Medical College, Peshawar
  • Tasneem Murad Forensic Medicine Department, Islamic International Medical College Rawalpindi
  • Sheeba Shabbir Forensic Medicine Department, HBS Medical College, Islamabad

Keywords:

Gunshot wounds, Entrance hole, Exit holes, skull injury, Beveling, PMCT

Abstract

Introduction: The identification of entry and exit hole on skull is not easy it needs precise and detailed examination. It depends upon the expertise of a forensic expert performing postmortem (autopsy) examination. The wound is usually determined by examining the characteristic features of entry and exit whole. The wound is usually measured by simple ruler by placing it next to the entry or exit wound after shaving the head. Post-mortem computed tomography technique develops a virtual 3Dimentional image of the skull. Hence in this study the entry and exit holes characteristics were easily differentiated. A digital autopsy 3D imagining technique used to differentiate between Entry and Exit wound on the skull without opening the skull and the results are accurate.

Objective: To differentiate between entry and exit wholes on skull by using advance 3D imaging technique.

Methods: A study was conducted in Forensic Medicine Department of Khyber Medical College Peshawar. 13 confirmed cases of gunshot wound in head were examined. In this study we used a Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) technique to make a three-dimensional image of the skull. As a result of this advance technique, examination of the skull has been improved with accuracy. The study design was a case control study that follows a group of victims who have a similar diagnosis i.e. gunshot injuries on head who underwent autopsy over a period of six months.

Results: The diameter of entry hole due to gun shot in skull is smaller than the exit hole, beveling of inner and outer table is also helpful in identification of entry and exit hole.

Conclusion: Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) technique develops a virtual 3Dimentional image of the skull which can help to give accurate dimensions of the wound. Furthermore, this technique can be used for digital autopsy conduction without opening of the body cavities. However, it is expensive and need specialized training.

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Published

2020-02-04

Issue

Volume.17, Issue-3 (Jul-Sep 2019)

Section

Original article

License

Copyright (c) 2020 Hidayat Ur Rehman; Ghulam Mohyuddin, Muhammad Yousaf, Faqir ullah, Tasneem Murad, Sheeba Shabbir

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Readers may “Share-copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format” and “Adapt-remix, transform, and build upon the material”. The readers must give appropriate credit to the source of the material and indicate if changes were made to the material. Readers may not use the material for commercial purpose. The readers may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

How to Cite

1.
Rehman HU. Determining the Gun shot Entry and-Exit wound on Skulls by using Post-mortem Computed Tomography Techniques. Int J Pathol [Internet]. 2020 Feb. 4 [cited 2024 Dec. 28];17(3):123-6. Available from: https://jpathology.com/index.php/OJS/article/view/472

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