Homicide, suicide, or accident? Complex differential diagnosis. A case series. 2024

Simone Santelli, and Luca Berti, and Elena Giovannini, and Guido Pelletti, and Susi Pelotti, and Paolo Fais
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Unit of Legal Medicine, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 49, 40126, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: simone.santelli@studio.unibo.it.

Distinguishing between homicides, suicides, and accidental deaths remains a challenging task. The examination of actual cases, which involve a multitude of variables, significantly contributes to our understanding of these matters. In this context, we present three distinct cases that required the involvement of various specialists to conduct a thorough analysis of the manner of death. In the first case, the integration of on-site inspection, autopsy, radiological, and kinematic data enabled the identification of a homicidal death. In the second case, the combination of circumstantial evidence, autopsy findings, toxicological analysis, and meteorological data revealed an atypical accidental death resulting from an attempted suicide. In the third case, radiological findings, supplemented with criteria from forensic science, indicated an accidental manner of death. In all reported cases, a multidisciplinary approach played a pivotal role in the differential diagnosis of the manner of death.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002423 Cause of Death Factors which produce cessation of all vital bodily functions. They can be analyzed from an epidemiologic viewpoint. Causes of Death,Death Cause,Death Causes
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D006708 Homicide The killing of one person by another. Murder,Killing,Wrongful Death,Death, Wrongful,Deaths, Wrongful,Homicides,Killings,Murders,Wrongful Deaths
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000059 Accidents Unexpected and unintentional events, typically resulting in ACCIDENTAL INJURIES. Accident
D001344 Autopsy Postmortem examination of the body. Autopsies,Post-Mortem Examination,Postmortem Examination,Examination, Post-Mortem,Examination, Postmortem,Examinations, Post-Mortem,Examinations, Postmortem,Post Mortem Examination,Post-Mortem Examinations,Postmortem Examinations
D001523 Mental Disorders Psychiatric illness or diseases manifested by breakdowns in the adaptational process expressed primarily as abnormalities of thought, feeling, and behavior producing either distress or impairment of function. Mental Illness,Psychiatric Diseases,Psychiatric Disorders,Psychiatric Illness,Behavior Disorders,Diagnosis, Psychiatric,Mental Disorders, Severe,Psychiatric Diagnosis,Illness, Mental,Mental Disorder,Mental Disorder, Severe,Mental Illnesses,Psychiatric Disease,Psychiatric Disorder,Psychiatric Illnesses,Severe Mental Disorder,Severe Mental Disorders

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