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Erschienen in: International Journal of Legal Medicine 6/2016

12.05.2016 | Case Report

The truth lies within: the reconstructive value of inner livores in a homicide case

verfasst von: Eva Brenčičová, Manuela Baglivo, Nicole Schwendener, Christian Schyma, Christian Jackowski

Erschienen in: International Journal of Legal Medicine | Ausgabe 6/2016

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Abstract

Through the widespread use of postmortem computed tomography, inner livores of the lungs have become a frequently observed phenomenon in the field of forensic medicine. Yet their time-dependent development, notably in comparison with the widely studied external livores, remains poorly understood. We present a unique homicide case where the victim was discovered in supine position with correspondent external livores fixed exclusively on the rear side. Yet upon postmortem computed tomography, the victim presented pronounced inner livores within the depending dorsal areas of both lungs but also vertical sedimentation levels solely within the right lung, suggesting an initial right-hand side position and a postmortem re-positioning of the body. Interestingly, this was consistent with tangible hints of postmortem manipulation on-site. It is likely that this repositioning occurred sometime during the early postmortem interval (<6 h) as the external livores have completely rearranged to the final supine position. The presented case suggests different development patterns of inner and outer livores, highlighting the necessity for controlled studies that explore the formation and fixation processes of livor mortis in internal organs. A better understanding of these issues can prove useful in forensic examinations.
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Metadaten
Titel
The truth lies within: the reconstructive value of inner livores in a homicide case
verfasst von
Eva Brenčičová
Manuela Baglivo
Nicole Schwendener
Christian Schyma
Christian Jackowski
Publikationsdatum
12.05.2016
Verlag
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Erschienen in
International Journal of Legal Medicine / Ausgabe 6/2016
Print ISSN: 0937-9827
Elektronische ISSN: 1437-1596
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1386-4

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