A rare suicide case involving fatal bleeding from varicose veins

• Published in: Journal of forensic sciences Vol. 66; no. 5; pp. 2020 - 2023
• Main Authors: Handlos, Petr, Handlosová, Klára, Klabal, Ondřej, Uvíra, Matěj
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colorado Springs Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-09-2021; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Arteries; autopsy; Bleeding; Body parts; Case Report; CASE REPORTS; fatal hemorrhage; Forensic pathology; incised wounds; Injuries; Organs; sharp force fatality; suicide; Suicides & suicide attempts; Thorax; Varicose veins; Veins
• ISSN: 0022-1198; 1556-4029
• DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14765

This case report deals with a sharp force suicide case, which may challenge the experience of many forensic pathologists as well as the studies published to date. An overview of the published cases shows that sharp force suicides account only for 1.6%–3% of all suicides and the self‐inflicted injuries are usually localized on the body parts easily accessible with one's hand including the neck, thorax, or upper extremities, as well as in locations of major vascular bundles or vital organs. Reported, however, is a case in which the victim relied on the knowledge of her medical condition and used a kitchen knife to incise her varicose veins, which resulted in fatal bleeding. The case is rare on a number of grounds: incision of varicose veins is rarely the method of choice in suicide cases, injuries of peripheral veins are rarely fatal, and so are injuries of isolated veins where no damage to arteries is suffered.