Two cases of self-mutilation with needles are reported. One of the deceased suffered from chronic schizophrenia and committed suicide by plastic bag suffocation. At autopsy several needles were detected grown into the connective tissue of chest or abdominal organs. In the other case a knitting needle was used for repeated manipulations at the forehead leading to a defect of the skin and the skull. At least one vessel was injured leading to an extensive haemorrhage in the left hemisphere of the brain. The forensic and etiologic aspects of the cases are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BachmannJ. J. (1992) Pericarditis caused by a sewing needle. N. Engl. J. Med.326, 768.
2.
BaloghI.SzekelyM. (1976) Seltene Folge einer Selbstbeschädigung: Einwanderung einer Nadel in das Kranzgefäßsystem des Herzens. Arch. Kriminal157, 165–71.
3.
BeckD. (1977) Das Koryphäen-Killer-Syndrom. DMW102, 303–7.
4.
BetzP.von MeyerL.EisenmengerW. (1994) Fatalities due to intestinal obstruction following the ingestion of foreign bodies. For. Sci. Int.69, 105–10.
5.
DworkinR. H. (1994) Pain insensitivity in schizophrenia: a neglected phenomenon and some implications. Schiz. Bull.20, 135–248.
GreeneK. A.DickmanC. A.SmithK. A.KinderE. J.ZabramskiJ. M. (1993) Self- inflicted orbital and intracranial injury with a retained foreign body associated with psychotic depression: case report and review. Surg. Neurol.40, 499–503.
8.
HeathM. J. (1980) Penetrating injury to chest by knitting needle — a case report and review of the literature. Med. Sci. Law20 (3), 193–6.
9.
LeslieJ.TaffM. I.PatelI.SternbergA.FernandoM. M. (1984) Self-inflicted ocular injuries: a rare form of self-mutilation. Am. J. For. Med. Pathol.5 (1), 83–8.
10.
RablW.UnterdorferH. (1993) Unerkannte Stricknadelverletzung des Thorax. Rechtsmedizin3, 145–7.
