[The hydrodynamic effect of gunshots in cranial explosive shots].

Case report on five fatal gunshot injuries in which discharge of the cranial contents had occurred owing to a skull blast. Despite an appreciable explosive action with destruction of the bony cranium, the brains were not completely destroyed. In analogy to the "Krönlein shot", comparative reflections were made concerning wound ballistics. The case reports show that injury patterns resembling "Krönlein shot" may arise in cranial blast shots in rare cases despite destroyed projectile parts and even in a mouth shot.