Fatal Injuries Caused by Falling Trees: Correlation Between Postmortem Computed Tomography and Forensic Autopsy Findings in Eight Cases
Tomoya Kobayashi, Akihito Usui, Yoshikazu Okamoto, Sohtaro Mimasaka, Masato Funayama · 2026
Read Fatal Injuries Caused by Falling Trees: Correlation Between Postmortem Computed Tomography and Forensic Autopsy Findings in Eight Cases by Tomoya Kobayashi, Akihito Usui, Yoshikazu Okamoto, Sohtaro Mimasaka, Masato Funayama (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13499815.txt.
Description
Tomoya Kobayashi and others compare postmortem CT with forensic autopsy in eight deaths from falling trees or large branches. In 2026, the look-back study covers consecutive cases from 2012 to 2025 where trunk or branch impact was the primary event and both examinations were performed. Four lethal mechanisms emerged, each in two cases: fatal head or brainstem injury, bleeding shock, traumatic shock with heart or aortic rupture, and asphyxia.
Postmortem CT excellently mapped fractures, bleeding, and gas collections and suggested aortic injury once, but brainstem lesions, exact rupture sites, and low-contrast organ injuries appeared only at autopsy. The authors conclude that CT delineates global injury patterns while full autopsy remains vital for the exact mechanism of death.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Tomoya Kobayashi, Akihito Usui, Yoshikazu Okamoto, Sohtaro Mimasaka, Masato Funayama |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 56 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |