Citation

Zivković V, Damjanjuk I, Nikolic S. Forensic Sci. Med. Pathol. 2014; 11(1): 145-146.

Affiliation

Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Belgrade - School of Medicine, 31a Deligradska Str., 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s12024-014-9598-8

PMID

25119243

Abstract

We have read the article by Radnić et al. “Crow’s feet” as an indication of a vital reaction in a gunshot victim, which considered an occurrence of “crow’s feet” in case of close-range gun-shot victim. This phenomenon was described in the context of fires, explosion, high-voltage, and electric arc accidents. On a sudden exposure to flames or great heat, while alive, victims screw their eyes tightly shut, producing a lateral line of skin at the canthi spared from thermal damage, or soot deposits—“crow’s feet”. Other lines of skin spared from burning also suggest a final contraction of the facial mimic muscles.

There is no agreement whether the occurrence of “crow’s feet” is a vital phenomenon in cases of high-voltage accidents, or reaction in the early postmortem phase due to electrical stimulation of the facial mimic muscles.

In a case that we examined involving a man who died in a high—voltage accident we found facial burns, predominantly on the forehead....

Language: en