Citation

Peschel O, Betz P, Eisenmenger W. Med. Sci. Law 1997; 37(2): 175-178.

Affiliation

Department of Legal Medicine, University of Munich, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, British Academy of Forensic Sciences, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9149514

Abstract

Two cases of self-mutilation with needles are reported. One of the deceased suffered from chronic schizophrenia and committed suicide by plastic bag suffocation. At autopsy several needles were detected grown into the connective tissue of chest or abdominal organs. In the other case a knitting needle was used for repeated manipulations at the forehead leading to a defect of the skin and the skull. At least one vessel was injured leading to an extensive haemorrhage in the left hemisphere of the brain. The forensic and etiologic aspects of the cases are discussed.

Language: en