A moot point! A homicide case report on ambiguous projectile movement on postmortem MR

Publication date: Available online 4 September 2015 Source:Journal of Forensic Radiology and Imaging Author(s): Dominic Gascho, Garyfalia Ampanozi, Lars C Ebert, Stephan A Bolliger, Sebastian Eggert, Sabine Franckenberg, Michael J Thali, Patricia M Flach In a case of homicide with a lodged ricochet projectile in the skull, potential projectile movement was investigated by postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMR). The purpose of this case report is to evaluate the different PMMR-related properties of projectiles in gunshot wounds. The deceased underwent whole-body postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) in a supine position, 3d-suface scanning with reposition of the corpse into a prone position and subsequent PMMR in the same position. For validation purposes, a control PMCT-scan in supine position followed by autopsy was also performed. The ferromagnetic properties of the projectile were tested. Imaging revealed projectile movement between PMCT and PMMR. The bullet did not produce excessive susceptibility artifacts on PMMR. Autopsy revealed no heating effects of the adjacent tissue, indicating no thermal effects by the PMMR scan. The bullet showed no ferromagnetic properties. Ballistic analysis showed only copper and lead compounds in the 9mm projectile. Therefore, the bullet migration was caused by repositioning of the corpse from a supine to a prone position along the ricochet wound channel, not by magnetic torque during the PMMR scan. PMMR allows for ...
Source: Journal of Forensic Radiology and Imaging - Category: Radiology Source Type: research