A contact gunshot wound to the right temple shows a stellate (star-shaped) laceration at the entry wound with a reddish halo, soot in the wound tunnel, and a 'muzzle stamp' imprint on the skin. The stellate shape is PRIMARILY due to:

• A The bullet's rotational spin tearing the skin centrifugally
• B Gases entering the wound ahead of the bullet, expanding in the subcutaneous tissue and bursting outward through the skin ✓
• C Fragmentation of the bullet into multiple pellets at close range
• D Backspatter of blood causing secondary laceration

Explanation

In a tight-contact gunshot wound, propellant gases are discharged directly into the wound alongside the bullet. These gases penetrate the subcutaneous tissue, temporarily expand like a balloon beneath the skin (splitting skin radially over the underlying bone), and burst outward—creating the characteristic stellate or cruciform tear. This is most pronounced over flat bones (skull, sternum) where the gases cannot dissipate into deep tissue. The bullet's spin causes rifling marks on projectile/passage but not the stellate skin tear.

Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Narayan Reddy), 34th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.