Forensic medical evaluation of an isolated injury of the small bowel mesentery and its vessels (literature review extended with expert case report)

Abstract

This work summarizes information from the modern scientific literature devoted to the issues of morphology and mechanisms of an isolated mesenteric injury, which is rare in expert practice. Apart from classic forensic medical papers, publications over 2000 – 2020, devoted to abdominal organ injuries, were analyzed. In the search engines PUBMED and eLibrary.ru, a selection of sources was made according to the keywords: “rupture of the mesenteric root of the small intestine,” “diagnostics,” “forensic medical evaluation.” The results of the literature analysis were used in the study of the repeated forensic medical examination materials of a case of rapid death (in 1.5 hours) due to a traumatic rupture of the mesentery of the small bowel and its large vessels. The combined analysis of the expert case report and special scientific literature allows us to devise the following conclusions: 1. A forensic expert must have expert knowledge in the normal anatomy of the abdominal aorta’s unpaired vessels and their accompanying veins location and know about their variable topographic and anatomical features. 2. Life-threatening bleeding from the damaged vessel of the mesentery of the small bowel occurs in a wide time interval after the mechanical damage. 3. The development of life-threatening intra-abdominal bleeding is due to the scope of damage and the rate of blood flow from the damaged vessel. 4. Thorough examination of the area of rupture of the mesenteric vessel and the state of the tissues in the circumference of the rupture allow to establish the mechanism of injury. 5. Ignorance of the mechanism of injury and specifics of the formation of injuries is the cause of expert errors and scientifically unfounded conclusions. 6. There is no reference material on the rate of blood flow from a damaged large vessel.