.In intraoral suicide with a 12-gauge long gun the barrel is positioned inside the oral cavity and the shot penetrates through the hard or soft palate, immediately reaching the cranial base. In the milliseconds following discharge the injuring mechanism is determined both by the mass of the projectile and by the instantaneous release of combustion gases into a closed and non-expandable space. The concentrated energy causes explosive fracture of the cranial base and destruction of the brain parenchyma along the trajectory crossing the frontal lobe, diencephalic structures, midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata. The disruption of the cardiorespiratory centers is immediate, producing instant loss of consciousness and rapid cessation of cerebral activity. This mechanism makes intraoral suicide with a 12-gauge firearm one of the most destructive modalities encountered in forensic medicine.
.In intraoral suicide with a 12-gauge long gun the barrel is positioned inside the oral cavity and the shot penetrates through the hard or soft palate, immediately reaching the cranial base. In the milliseconds following discharge the injuring mechanism is determined both by the mass of the projectile and by the instantaneous release of combustion gases into a closed and non-expandable space. The concentrated energy causes explosive fracture of the cranial base and destruction of the brain parenchyma along the trajectory crossing the frontal lobe, diencephalic structures, midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata. The disruption of the cardiorespiratory centers is immediate, producing instant loss of consciousness and rapid cessation of cerebral activity. This mechanism makes intraoral suicide with a 12-gauge firearm one of the most destructive modalities encountered in forensic medicine.
