TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - The role of 3DCT for the evaluation of chop injuries in clinical forensic medicine
JO  - Forensic science international
A1  - Wittschieber, Daniel
A1  - Beck, Laura
A1  - Vieth, Volker
A1  - Hahnemann, Maria L.
SP  - e59
EP  - 63
VL  - 266
IS  - 
N2  - As hatchet blows to the human head frequently cause fatal injuries, the forensic examination of survivors with cranial chop injuries is a rare phenomenon in forensic casework. Besides evaluation of clinical records, photographs, and medico-legal physical examination, the analysis and 3-dimensional reconstruction of pre-treatment computed tomography data (3DCT) must be considered an important and indispensable tool for the assessment of those cases because the characteristics of chopping trauma often appear masked or changed by clinical treatment. In the present article, the role of 3DCT for the evaluation of chop wounds in clinical forensic medicine is demonstrated by an illustrative case report of a young man who was attacked with a hatchet. 3DCT provides additional possibilities for supplementing missing information, such as number and direction of blows as well as weapon identification. Furthermore, 3DCT facilitates demonstration in court and understanding of medical lay people. We conclude that 3DCT is of particular value for the evaluation of survivors of life-threatening head and face injury. An increasing significance of this technique may be expected.<br><br>Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0379-0738
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.05.025
ID  - ref1
ER  -