Forensic Pathology Case Study: The Alcoholic Neighbor - Assignment Example

Forensic Pathology Case Study: The Alcoholic Neighbor According to the case study, one of the symptoms that the neighbors noticed was the unstable gait and dragging foot. The man also complained of headaches on occasions when he talked with them. From the above symptoms, dragging foot and unstable gait may be symptoms of lumbar disc disease. Lumbar disc disease results from a compromised vertebral disc. It may be caused by trauma or just wear and tear over time. During autopsy, inflammation around the vertebral discs may be observed.

Narrowing of the spaces between the vertebral discs could be seen, end plate sclerosis and formation of osteophyte would be observed if radiography was used during autopsy. If the internal structure of the vertebral disc is observed, injury may be observed [Mag08]. It is important to note that the man did not complain of low back pain which can be easily associated with lumbar disc disease. This may be because after a long period, pain from lumbar disc disease decreases and ceases. However, headaches are not symptoms of lumbar disc disease.

Thus, if all three symptoms are considered, then they could have been symptoms of hemorrhage in the brain. Hemorrhage in the brain may be associated with hemorrhagic stroke. During autopsy, intracerebral hemorrhage could be observed through visible bleeding [Shk07] Several days later, the man was found dead by the police after neighbors reported the man missing. He was found dead lying sideways on his bed. His face was hanging down towards the floor. On this occasion, the first observable symptom that was noted was an open wound just above his eyebrow.

The open wound was two inches long and had an undermining of its superior edge. This open wound is termed as a laceration. Suggestively, the laceration was the result of his face directly hitting an object. It can be said that he fell and hit his face against furniture such as the cupboard in the room as he was trying to reach out for something placed on top of the furniture. As Dolinak et al., (2005) indicate, on autopsy, tissue over the bone would be seen to be compressed forcefully over the bone.

This is mainly common on the scalp and orofacial regions because the skull is bony and tissue found over the bone is relatively thin. The tissue bridges that were observed, along with areas of abrasion above the open wound could prove during an autopsy that it was a laceration and not just an incised wound [DiM01]. Tissue bridging is because different tissue components are of varying strengths which results in partial severance of the stronger components. Abrasion above the wound can indicate the direction from which the impact came from.

Apparent black eyes were also observed bilaterally. This signaled that there was blood beneath the man’s skin. Typically, this is termed as “racoon eyes.” Dolinak et al., (2005) state that in instances of basilar skull fracture, blood can move through fascial planes and build up the manifestation of contusion. As concerning blood on his shirt, the blood could have been from the open wound [Dol051] It would have been most likely that the symptoms expressed before his death would have been the result of an intracranial cause such as hemorrhagic stroke.

Later on, a huge stoke may have lead to his fall and death. The trauma observed seem minimal and would not have been the cause of death. However, basilar skull fractures do not simply result from small falls implying that his fall was not just a small fall.BibliographyDiMaio, D., & DiMaio. V. J. M. (2001). Forensic Pathology, Second Edition. Boca Raton, Florida, United States of America: CRC Press.Dolinak, D., Matshes, E., & Lew, E. O. (2005). Forensic Pathology: Principles and Practice. San Diego, California, United States of America: Academic Press.Magee, D. J. (2008). Pathology and Intervention in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation (Illustrated ed.). St.

Louis, Missouri, United States of America: Elsevier Health Sciences.Shkrum, M. J., & Ramsay, D. A. (2007). Forensic Pathology of Trauma: Common Problems for the Pathologist. Totowa, New Jersey, United States of America: Springer Science & Business Media.