Skip to main content

Destruction of most of the head from a contact shotgun wound with preservation of the avulsed brain (next to the shotgun in the foreground). No further info about this case.

Head injuries from shotguns and high-powered rifles are typically quite devastating, often with extensive soft tissue destruction, skull fractures, and pulpifaction of the brain. Occasionally, the brain is largely expelled from the cranial vault and may be found near the body. Self-inflicted submental and transoral wounds may produce serious but survivable brain injuries if the path of the bullet is limited to the frontal area.

Fig.1 Destruction of most of the head from a contact shotgun wound.

The head is the most common location for a suicidal shotgun wound (74%), followed by the chest (20%) and then the abdomen (6%). In head wounds, the most common location was intraoral (50%), followed by under the chin (19%); side of head, including parietal and temporal wounds (15%); and the face, including the forehead (13%).

Latest posts

Fig.1 Skull blown off in air conditioner compressor explosion death.

Skull blown off in air conditioner compressor explosion death

| Accident, Explosion | No Comments
India. On a fateful day, a 27-year-old mechanic was fixing the compressor of a nonworking AC when there…

Couple murdered in their new Santa Barbara home

| Gunshot, Homicide | No Comments
On May 2, 2009, at approximately 1:30 in the morning, attorneys Barbara Scharton and Daniel Lyons, were murdered…
Fig.1 Shotgun suicide.

Shotgun suicide

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
This individual committed suicide using a shotgun, no further info. The head is the most common location for…
Fig.2 Skin slippage and expansion of the scrotum due to gas accumulation.

Scrotal enlargement from gas formation

| Decomposition | No Comments
There are five stages of decomposition, namely fresh, bloated, active decay, advanced decay, and skeletal stage. These stages…