TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - Medico legal aspects of self-injection of metallic mercury in cases of suicide or self-harming
JO  - Journal of forensic and legal medicine
A1  - Da Broi, Ugo
A1  - Moreschi, Carlo
A1  - Colatutto, Antonio
A1  - Marcon, Barbara
A1  - Zago, Silvia
SP  - 12
EP  - 19
VL  - 50
IS  - 
N2  - Metallic mercury may be self-injected for suicidal or self-harm purposes or sometimes for superstitious or other inadvisable reasons. Local tissue or systemic consequences such as mercurialism can frequently occur in cases of subcutaneous or deep injection, while death due to pulmonary embolism and cardiac, brain, hepatic or renal toxicity may occur in cases of high dosage intravenous administration. The aim of this review is to focus on the diagnostic difficulties facing coroners and forensic pathologists when the courts require confirmation that evidence of self-injection of metallic mercury is the result of suicide or self-harming. Forensic examination performed on the corpses of victims who died in or out of hospital or on surviving injured or intoxicated victims showing signs of mercurialism, demands the careful evaluation of the death scene, of all related circumstances and of the clinical and autopsy data. Close interaction between forensic pathologists and toxicologists is also needed to identify and quantify mercury levels in blood, urine and tissue.<br><br>Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1752-928X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2017.06.002
ID  - ref1
ER  -