Chathula Ushari Wickramashinghe

• Bachelor of Medicine
• Postgraduate Trainee in Forensic Medicine and Lecturer (probationary) at University of Peradeniya

Pulmonary artery dissection (PAD) is considered to be a rare condition with a very high mortality. Since a comprehensive review on PAD has not yet been done, we analysed all the available reports on PAD. In this analysis and review we searched the databases; Medline, PubMed Central, Directory of Open Access Journals, Google Scholar using the search...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, with manifestations ranging from numbness and blindness to paralysis. Typical MS is a slowly progressive demyelinating disease, causing significant morbidity spanning over many years. In contrast, “Marburg’s disease” is a rare variant of MS which demonst...

Objective Morphometry of frontal sinuses has been studied extensively in many countries. However, these findings cannot be generalized due to genetic and environmental factors affecting the skeletal structure. The main aim of this study was to morphometrically analyze the frontal sinuses in patients who underwent non-contrast computed tomography (N...

Background Acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis is a life-threatening condition leading to shock and multiorgan failure. Although prevalent in the general population, the incidence during pregnancy is low, with a high maternal and fetal mortality rate. The highest incidence is in the third trimester/early postpartum period. Infectious etiology for acute...

Explosives are potentially harmful devices that can create an explosion by a rapid release of a pressurized gas consequent to a chemical reaction within the device. They can inflict a variety of injuries, due to the blast wave, fire, and shrapnel. The pattern and severity of injuries will be determined by various factors, including explosive potent...

Introduction The development of technology has significantly impacted the evolution of autopsy techniques worldwide. Initially described by Richard Dirnhofer, the concept of “Virtual Autopsy (VA)” or “Virtopsy” involves combining innovative technology with Conventional Autopsy (CA). This has permitted a non-/minimally invasive approach to postmorte...

Gloriosa superba (GSb), or Glory Lily, is not an uncommon plant found in Sri Lanka. Every part of the plant is poisonous, especially the rhizome. It contains mainly colchicine and gloriocine which are toxic alkaloids. Fatalities following ingestion are rarely reported with current medical management. A 37-year-old male, with history of cannabis dep...

Introduction: In Sri Lanka, pesticides are widely used in agriculture, and they have both beneficial effects and health hazards. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Sevanagala Grama Niladhari Division in southeastern Sri Lanka, to assess the knowledge and practices on usage of pesticides, using an interviewer-administere...

Injuries due to automobile safety devices have been reported and we report a rare fatality due to a defective airbag system. A compact hybrid car driven by a 37-year-old male at moderate speed had crashed through an unprotected manhole. The car had moved around 200 m before it came to a halt. The passers-by had noticed that the driver was unconscio...

Also published as a case report on doi: 10.1007/s12024-023-00715-1

Objective: Virtual autopsy is a non-invasive/minimally invasive method for conducting an autopsy, with the assistance of imaging techniques. We aim to review the benefits of virtual autopsy in detecting pathologies in the paediatric population. Method: The procedure adhered to Institute of Medicine and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Revie...

Cyber-bullying is a global issue in the current era. The main objective of this study was to identify the prevalence and determinants of cyber-bully victimization and to analyze the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. A self-reported questionnaire collected data from students aged 14–17 years in Sri Lanka in September 2020. Prevalence of any form of bully...

Introduction Trap guns are a type of home-made firearms common to Sri Lanka. Prevalent in the rural regions of the country, their main purpose is to protect crops from wild animals. It consists of a long metal pipe with a basic firing mechanism which is activated by a trip wire. Although the firing range and capacity to injure are low, they have a...

Abstract Introduction: Trap guns are a type of home-made firearms common to Sri Lanka. Prevalent in the rural regions of the country, their main purpose is to protect crops from wild animals. It consists of a long metal pipe with a basic firing mechanism which is activated by a trip wire. Although the firing range and capacity to injure are low, th...

BLAST INJURY FOLLOWING LOCALLY MANUFACTURED “HAKKA PATAS”- A CASE REPORT Home-made devices such as “Hakka patas” although having a low explosive potential have the capacity to cause injury greater than expected due to their volatile, unpredictable nature, causing accidental explosions. This can injure unintended targets, resulting in grave conseque...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic debilitating, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, causing significant morbidity spanning many years. We present a possible rare variety of MS demonstrating a rapid progression with a fatal outcome. This malignant monophonic variant has been described in the literature as “Marburg’s disease” lead...

This communication highlights a rare case of suicide by self-induced hemopericardium caused by a penetrating syringe needle. A 20-year-old male, diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, severe depression and hypochondriasis, was found dead at home. There was a 23-gauge 3 cm long syringe needle, connected to a 3 cc barrel, penetrating the left side of the...

Virtual autopsy(VA) is a minimally-invasive method for conducting autopsy, with the assistance of radiographic techniques. We aim to review the benefits of VA in detecting pathologies in the paediatric population.

Introduction Postmortem diagnostic guidelines for Covid-19 infection in Sri Lanka include sampling of nasal/throat swabs, tracheal aspirate, femoral blood for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid antigen test. Positive results label it as a death following Covid-19 infection and warrants disposal without an autopsy. Case scenario A four-month...

Background: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is an important attribute to possess in the practice of medicine, which requires skills such as the ability to adapt to clinical situations appropriately and have favourable interpersonal relations, which in turn may have an effect on the outcome of the patient. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to...

Child abuse is a sensitive topic among many medical practitioners and the diagnosis of this entity requires awareness about conditions which can mimic physical child abuse. Here, the authors present a case of a 13-year-old school non-attendee who was referred due to multiple scars, over areas prone to accidental as well as non-accidental injury, wh...