Unusual attempted suicide or covered attempted homicide? A neck stabbing case report and review of literature

Stassi, Chiara; Mondello, Cristina; Baldino, Gennaro; Benedetto, Filippo; Corte, Francesco La; Salamone, Ignazio; Sapienza, Daniela; Cardia, Luigi; Spagnolo, Elvira Ventura

doi:10.1007/s00414-020-02379-w

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Self‐stabbing is an uncommon method of suicide, accounting for only 1%–3% of suicide attempts. Among these, 40% involve a penetrating neck injury 1,2 . We present the case of a 64‐year‐old woman who stabbed her neck with a kitchen knife in an attempt to commit suicide.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

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Self‐inflicted stab wound at first thoracic vertebra

Ushio¹

2022

Clinical Case Reports

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Self-stabbing is an uncommon method of suicide, accounting for only 1%-3% of suicide attempts. Among these, 40% involve a penetrating neck injury. 1,2 We present the case of a 64-year-old woman who stabbed her neck with a kitchen knife in an attempt to commit suicide. On examination, she was stable and conversant (Figure 1A). Post-intubation computed tomography (CT) revealed a cervical vertebral wound, and damaged anterior and posterior tracheal walls. The tip of the knife was chipped and lodged into the first thoracic vertebra. No pneumothorax and extravascular leakage, suggestive of damage to the cervical arteriovenous system, were noted (Figures 1B,C). An emergency operation was performed to remove the knife. The lodged knife tip was removed by scraping the vertebral body with a drill (Figure 1D). The thyroid isthmus and the anterior and posterior walls of the trachea were sutured. Tracheal stenosis was noted postoperatively. She was discharged on postoperative day 39 without complications. Patients with stab wounds are hemodynamically stable on admission because blades serve as local tamponades. Spiral computed tomography is an essential diagnostic modality for patients with stab wounds on the

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Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among these, 40% involve a penetrating neck injury. 1,2 We present the case of a 64-year-old woman who stabbed her neck with a kitchen knife in an attempt to commit suicide. On examination, she was stable and conversant (Figure 1A).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Self‐inflicted stab wound at first thoracic vertebra

Ushio¹

2022

Clinical Case Reports

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“…Although autopsy is well established as the gold standard technique for investigating the cause of death, the use of a less invasive radiological approachwhenever appropriate-might be preferable in some circumstances, especially in cases of cultural or religious oppositions to the internal examination of the body [3][4][5][6][7]. Since they allow a better visualization of bone structures, gas/fluid spaces and foreign bodies, also providing an enhanced resolution thanks to 3D volume rendering techniques, postmortem CT (PMCT) methodologies are most suited for the investigation of traumatic deaths, acute hemorrhages, lung parenchyma diseases, calcifications (stones, atherosclerosis), pneumothorax and pathological conditions associated with free air, as well as for personal identification [3,5,6,[8][9][10][11]. Compared to PMCT, postmortem Magnetic Resonance (PMMR), although less used, provides useful information on the cause of death as well, proving superior in the study of soft tissues [3,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

State of the Art on the Role of Postmortem Computed Tomography Angiography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Cardiac Causes of Death: A Narrative Review

et al. 2022

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The need of a minimally invasive approach, especially in cases of cultural or religious oppositions to the internal examination of the body, has led over the years to the introduction of postmortem CT (PMCT) methodologies within forensic investigations for the comprehension of the cause of death in selected cases (e.g., traumatic deaths, acute hemorrhages, etc.), as well as for personal identification. The impossibility to yield clear information concerning the coronary arteries due to the lack of an active circulation to adequately distribute contrast agents has been subsequently overcome by the introduction of coronary-targeted PMCT Angiography (PMCTA), which has revealed useful in the detection of stenoses related to calcifications and/or atherosclerotic plaques, as well as in the suspicion of thrombosis. In parallel, due to the best ability to study the soft tissues, cardiac postmortem MR (PMMR) methodologies have been further implemented, which proved suitable for the detection and aging of infarcted areas, and for cardiomyopathies. Hence, the purpose of the present work to shed light on the state of the art concerning the value of both coronary-targeted PMCTA and PMMR in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and/or myocardial infarction as causes of death, further evaluating their suitability as alternatives or complementary approaches to standard autopsy and histologic investigations.

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“…Among these, 40% involve a penetrating injury to the neck. 1,2 We present the case of a 64-year-old woman, who stabbed her neck with a kitchen knife in an attempt to commit suicide. On examination, she was stable and conversant (Figure 1A).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%