Citation

Haj Salem N, Belhadj M, Aissaoui A, Mesrati MA, Chadly A. J. Forensic Leg. Med. 2013; 20(6): 763-766.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Medicine, Universital Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba, Faculty of Medicine, University of Monastir, Al Munastîr, Tunisia. Electronic address: nidhal.hajsalem@yahoo.fr.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jflm.2013.04.015

PMID

23910877

Abstract

Dog-bite-related injuries and fatalities are increasing in incidence and represent an important public health concern, as dogs are more and more becoming an integral part of human social life. We report the case of a 27-year-old woman who was found dead in her home. Her body was discovered lying face down in a large pool of partially desiccated blood with signs of having been dragged. Site examination revealed the presence of severe injuries on the face, neck and head, which were then traced back to the dog she owned. Death was attributed to exsanguinations due to a neck blood vessel's laceration with fracture of the fifth cervical vertebra. This was uncommon because the dog bites injured the vertebral artery only without any lacerations of the carotid artery. Confirming that the injuries are dog-bite related was based on a multidisciplinary approach including histological findings, odontological examination of bite marks and DNA analysis.

Language: en