ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 5

Delayed Traumatic Intracerebral Hematoma (DTICH) and the Determination of the Manner of Death. A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Blisard, KS
Associate investigator, Research Service, Albuquerque Veterans Administration Medical Center, NM

McFeeley, PJ
Chief medical investigator, State of New Mexico, Office of the Medical Investigator, University of New Mexico, UNM School of Medicine, NM

(Received 19 March 1987; accepted 6 August 1987)

Abstract

The concept of a traumatic incident resulting in death when there has been a prolonged interval between the two events raises questions for medical examiners. A case is presented in which a 33-year-old man was found dead in his locked home. Although there was no evidence of foul play at the scene, the death was subsequently found to be directly related to an episode of head trauma sustained in an altercation approximately 1½ months before. The fatal lesion was a large intraparenchymal hematoma in the right frontal lobe of the brain which had developed in an area of contusion identified by computerized tomography (CT) scan while he was hospitalized following the trauma. The literature regarding delayed traumatic intracerebral hematoma (DTICH) is reviewed and its relevance to cases coming under the jurisdiction of a medical examiner is discussed.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, criminalistics, hematoma, injuries, death, delayed traumatic intracerebral hematoma (DTICH)

Paper ID: JFS12492J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS12492J
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