1PhD, Department of Neurosurgery, Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
2MD, Neurosurgery Unit II, Department of Pathology, Nicolae Oblu Emergency Clinical Hospital, Iasi, Romania
3PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
4MD, Unit II for Female Patients, Socola Psychiatry Hospital, Iasi, Romania
5PhD, Department of Pathology, Nicolae Oblu Emergency Clinical Hospital, Iasi, Romania
6PhD, Department of Ophthalmology, Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania
*Corresponding author: Serban Turliuc, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 University Street, Iasi, Romania, Email: serban_turliuc@yahoo.com
Online published on 27 October, 2015.
This case present a rare forensic case of cervical spinal gunshot injury of a female by her husband, a professional hunter, during a family fight with a shotgun fire pellets. The gunshot destroyed completely the cervical spinal cord, without injury to the neck vessels and organs and with the patient survival for seven days. We discuss notions of judicial ballistics, assessment of the patient with spinal cord gunshot injury and therapeutic strategies. Even if cervical spine gunshot injuries are most of the times lethal for majority of patients, the surviving patients need the coordination of a multidisciplinary surgical team to ensure the optimal functional prognostic.
cervical spinal cord gunshot injury, shotgun fire pellets, neck gunshot wounds
