Artefact in forensic medicine: pseudo-scalloped gunshot wound

The forensic pathologist uses a well known rule of thumb for estimating the range or distance between the discharged firearm and the target from entry wound characteristics. In this case, the range was overestimated because pseudo-scalloping of a shotgun entry wound was misdiagnosed as lacerations caused by pellet scatter. An unrecognised postmortem artefact which resembles a gunshot injury may be mistaken for a genuine wound feature.