Delayed deaths after vascular traumatism: Two cases

Abstract

During expert testimony in court, forensic pathologists are often asked to estimate the length of survival following fatal injuries. Though it is impossible to be precise, fatal vascular trauma survival times are generally considered short. We here report two unusual cases of delayed deaths, one following homicidal stabbing of the heart and the other by suicidal cutting of the neck. In those two cases, investigation clearly provided evidence of prolonged survival: slightly more than 2 h for the first case and about 8 h for the second. Relevant literature is revised and physiopathological hypotheses are discussed.