Özer, Erdal Gaziosmanpaşa University - School of Medicine - Departments of Forensic Medicine, Turkey , Yıldırım, Ali Gaziosmanpaşa University - School of Medicine - Deparments of Forensic Science, Turkey , Enginyurt, Özgür Ordu University Teaching and Research Hospital - Department of Family Medicine, Turkey

VIRTOPSY-Penetrating head trauma caused by a shovel handle: A case presentation

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The term virtopsy was coined from the words ‘virtual’, and ‘ autopsy’ derived from their Medieval Latin ‘virtualis’ and ancient Greek ‘autopsia’ terms, respectively. In electronics, and computer sciences, virtual is defined as ‘an adjective of or relating to a computer technique by which a person has the experience of being in an environment created by the computer, and of interacting with and causing changes in it. Autopsia is a combined form of autos, and opsis which means examination of body surface and of three body cavities of a cadaver to find the evidence of death or confirm the cause of death. Virtopsy is a procedure of virtual autopsy performed by using modern medical imaging, and assessment technologies. Penetrating head traumas by a foreign body is rarely seen, apart from those caused by gun pellets directed at head. Penetrating skull wounds, generally of transorbital type caused by nails, screws, paint brush have been reported .Our case has been found to be worthy of presentation in that any similar type of penetrating wound has not been encountered after our literature screening, and its cause of death was revealed by virtopsy.

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Autopsy , virtopsy , head trauma , cause of death , forensic medicine

Cumhuriyet Medical Journal

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