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%).
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