Frequency of bone lesions: An inadequate criterion for gunshot wound diagnosis in skeletal remains

A retrospective study was carried out on 130 fatalities due to gunshot woun ds to determine whether the combined absence of hone damage and projectile in a skeleton is sufficient to eliminate a diagnosis of gunshot wound. Our findings showed that bone lesions were present in about 90% of the cases an d were associated with intracorporeal projectile(s) in about 70% of the cas es. The presence or absence of bone lesions seemed independent of the gun c haracteristics, the shot conditions, and the type of death. The cause of de ath was predominantly brain injury in cases with bone lesions whereas thora cic, abdominal, and peripheral vascular causes were more frequently encount ered in cases without bone damage. We concluded that the combined absence o f bone lesions and intracorporeal projectile (about 5% in our series) canno t exclude a diagnosis of death secondary to gunshot wounds.