FORENSIC AND CRIMINAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CORRECT DETERMINATION OF VITALITY OF TRAUMATIC INJURIES BY CLINICIANS

INTRODUCTION: In clinical practice, especially concerning general practitioners and doctors in emergency rooms and ambulances, diagnosis of death might be necessary. In cases of deceased, which are not primarily objects of forensic examination, the knowledge of medical specialists of postmortem changes and signs of vitality might be crucial for the investigation. If misinterpreted, postmortem changes might lead to wrong conclusions and needless start of investigation process in cases with no data of violent death. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forensic examination of cadavers that were primary examined and diagnosed incorrectly by general practitioners as violent death. RESULTS: In the Department of forensic medicine and deontology – Medical university of Sofia, there are over 900 autopsies each year. In some of them the forensic examination happened to be not necessary, because of misleading information given by general practitioners that had mistaken postmortem changes with traumatic injuries. Even though in these cases the GPs had information about the diseases of the deceased patients, their conclusions led to suspicions and initialization of criminal investigation and additional expert complications. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The basic knowledge concerning features showing vitality of traumatic injuries is crucial for all medical clinicians. Nevertheless, in cases difficult for interpretation, every clinician might ask for consultation by forensic examiner in order not to make wrong conclusions that might mislead the investigators

FATAL OUTCOME OF A FEMALE SUFFERING BINGE EATING DISORDER – A CASE REPORT

INTRODUCTION: Eating disorders are common psychiatric afflictions in the adolescent female populations.The patients tend to deny or conceal their illness and avoid professional help. Anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are the two specified eating disorders according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). However, the most common eating disorder diagnosis in either clinical and community samples is the rest category ‘eating disorder not otherwise specified’. EDNOS is a heterogeneous group of eating disorders and includes partial syndromes of AN and BN, purging disorder and binge eating disorder (BED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forensic examination of the cadaver, data obtained by the relatives. CASE REPORT: A case of 37-years old female with eating disorder who was found dead in her bed is presented. According to data obtained by the relatives she suffered BED. The examination of the cadaver revealed aspiration of vomited stomach contents, full stomach and empty intestines, degenerative changes in the internal organs. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: It is generally thought that eating disorders are psychological problems far from life-threatening conditions. Their possible fatality is underestimated

Assessment of traumatic leptomeningeal cyst in forensic anthropology – A case report

Paleopathology is a very extensive subject. Sometimes some pathological changes of bones may mimic trauma. This paper demonstrates a rare complication of cranial fractures which may be mistaken with gunshot injury in skeletonized remains