Postmortem wounds caused by cookie-cutter sharks (Isistius species): an autopsy case of a drowning victim.

A woman in her late 50s was found deceased and floating in an ocean bay in a temperate region (N31 3304800, E130 3305500) surrounded by wave dissipation blocks. The woman’s appearance was orderly, except for her sweater, which was turned up to her face. Her jacket, shoes, and bag were found on a nearby block. The police investigation ascertained that she suffered from depression and had previously contemplated suicide. No suicide note or farewell letters were found. She was last seen alive, by relatives, approximately 6 days earlier. Medico-legal autopsy revealed several antemortem abrasions and bruises on the head, one of which was accompanied by mild subarachnoid hemorrhages without cerebral contusions on the right parietal lobe. In addition, the victim showed the typical findings of drowning such as ballooning of the lungs (weight: left, 310 g; right, 380 g) with impressions created by the ribs and so-called ‘‘Paltauf spots’’ on the pleural surface, bilateral pleural effusions (left, 160 ml; right, 170 ml), and froth in the airway, despite moderately advanced putrefaction. In the diatom test, marine planktons were detected not only in the digested lungs, but also in the spleen and left kidney. Toxicological investigations were negative. From all of these findings, the cause of death was determined to be drowning. However, the most notable finding was that circular and elliptical wounds, ranging from soybean-size to 3.7 9 5.1 cm, were found on the exposed (undressed) parts of the body such as the anterior cervical region (Fig. 1) and bilateral antebrachial regions. The edges of these wounds were relatively sharp and were not associated with clear subcutaneous hemorrhages. Their spoon like concave bottom reached the fatty tissue or superficial layer of the muscle.