Citation

Green H, James RA, Gilbert JD, Byard RW. Leg. Med. (Elsevier) 1999; 1(4): 254-256.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Japanese Society of Legal Medicine, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S1344-6223(99)80046-7

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A 46-year-old woman allegedly on a witness protection scheme who died under unusual circumstances with a factitious history of two previous homicide attempts and multiple medical problems including paraplegia and lung carcinoma is presented to demonstrate difficulties that may arise in the medicolegal investigation of such cases. A diagnosis of pseudologia fantastica was made once no corroboration of the presenting history or medical illnesses could be made. Death was due to haemorrhage from a self-inflicted incised wound to the arm.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; arm injury; article; case report; cause of death; confabulation; criminal behavior; death; Deception disorder; female; human; human tissue; lung carcinoma; paraplegia; Pseudologia fantastica; psychiatric diagnosis; suicide; Suicide