1/13. Indoor postmortem animal interference by carnivores and rodents: report of two cases and review of the literature.We present two cases of nearly total skeletization of the exposed face and neck due to indoor postmortem animal interference and a review of the literature. In the case of a 61-year-old man, inspection of the damaged soft tissue margins revealed serrated edges and parallel cutaneous lacerations caused by rats. In the case of a 40-year-old woman, postmortem examination revealed v-shaped and rhomboid-shaped tunneled wounds in the damaged soft tissue caused by a pit bull terrier. The autopsy in both cases identified natural causes of death. While the morphological feature of postmortem soft tissue artifacts caused by rodents can be ascribed to animal incisors, stab wound-like punctured wounds are characteristic of canine dentition of carnivorous origin. Additional morphological criteria for injuries of carnivorous origin are linear scratch-type abrasions from claws in the vicinity of the injuries. In cases of indoor postmortem animal interference damage is primarily caused to the exposed areas of the body, no self-defense injuries can be found on the deceased's body, only a small amount of blood or the total absence of bloodstains should be expected at the scene, an inquiry of pets living free in the house or wild animals having possible access to the scene should be conducted and rodent excrement found at the scene can give the investigator further information.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/13. temporal bone pathology findings due to drowning.It has been reported that anoxia due to near-drowning or near-suffocation causes brain damage but not inner ear damage. On the other hand, it has been shown that brain death causes both brain damage and inner ear damage. However, studies of temporal bone pathology resulting from sudden death due to drowning are few. We studied temporal bone pathology in six cases of individuals who died of accidents due to drowning. In all temporal bones examined, we found extensive congestion petechiae and haemorrhage in the vessels in the mucosal layers of the middle ear and mastoid air cells, as well as in the vessels around the facial nerve and carotid canal. In the inner ear, there was no abnormality in Corti's organ or the vestibular organs, except in one case who died in the bath. Our findings suggest that petechiae haemorrhage or congestion in the vessels of the mucosal layer and the vessels themselves of the middle ear occurs upon acute death due to drowning.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/13. tissue distribution of olanzapine in a postmortem case.Olanzapine is a relatively new antipsychotic drug used in the united states for the treatment of schizophrenia. Since its release in the united states market in 1996, few cases of fatal acute intoxication have been reported in the literature. This article describes the case of a 25-year-old man found dead at home who had been prescribed olanzapine for schizophrenia. This case is unique because of the measurement of olanzapine in brain tissue obtained from seven regions in addition to the commonly collected biologic matrices. Olanzapine was detected and quantitated by basic liquid-liquid extraction followed by dual-column gas chromatographic analysis with nitrogen phosphorus detection. The assay had a limit of detection of 0.05 mg/L and an upper limit of linearity of 2 mg/L. The presence of olanzapine was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry by use of electron impact ionization. The concentrations of olanzapine measured in this case were as follows (mg/L or mg/kg): 0.40 (heart blood), 0.27 (carotid blood), 0.35 (urine), 0.61 (liver), negative (cerebrospinal fluid), 0.33 mg in 50 ml (gastric contents). In the brain, the following distribution of olanzapine was determined (mg/kg): negative (cerebellum), 0.22 (hippocampus), 0.86 (midbrain), 0.16 (amygdala), 0.39 (caudate/putamen), 0.17 (left frontal cortex), and 0.37 (right frontal cortex). The cause of death was determined to be acute intoxication by olanzapine, and the manner of death was accidental.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/13. Environmental hyperthermic infant and early childhood death: circumstances, pathologic changes, and manner of death.infant and early childhood death caused by environmental hyperthermia (fatal heat stroke) is a rare event, typically occurring in vehicles or beds. The aims of this study were to describe the demographics, circumstances, pathology, and manner of death in infants and young children who died of environmental hyperthermia and to compare these cases with those reported in the literature. Scene investigation, autopsy reports, and the microscopic slides of cases from three jurisdictions were reviewed. The subjects in 10 identified cases ranged in age from 53 days to 9 years. Eight were discovered in vehicles and 2 in beds. When the authors' cases were grouped with reported cases, the profile of those in vehicles differed from those in beds. The former were older, were exposed to rapidly reached higher temperatures, and often had more severe skin damage. The latter were mostly infants and were exposed to lower environmental temperatures. Hepatocellular necrosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation were reported in victims who survived at least 6 hours after the hyperthermic exposure. The consistent postmortem finding among nearly all victims was intrathoracic petechiae, suggesting terminal gasping in an attempt at autoresuscitation before death. The manner of death was either accident or homicide. Recommendations for the scene investigation are made.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/13. Larder beetles (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) as an accelerating factor for decomposition of a human corpse.Larder beetles are known to feed directly upon decomposing carrion, with a preference for dried carrion. Under optimal environmental conditions (dry and warm), they can appear in large numbers. In our case, the mummified corpse of a human male was nearly skeletonized in less than 5 months in his apartment with windows closed and a room temperature between 25 degrees C (near the radiator) and 19.4 degrees C (near the body). There were very few empty fly pupae in the apartment, but a lot of adult hide beetles, their larvae and larval cast skins (exuviae) (Dermestes maculatus DEG.) belonging to the family of the larder beetles (Dermestidae). The beetles skeletonized the human corpse in such a short time because of ideal conditions for them in the apartment (dry and warm) making the body an optimal feeding ground because of his mummification.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.5keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/13. Comparative alcohol concentrations in blood and vitreous fluid with illustrative case studies.The toxicology Bureau of the new mexico Department of health performs drug and alcohol testing on approximately 2800 medical examiner cases each year across the entire state. Although blood is usually the preferred specimen for alcohol analysis, the importance of multiple specimen analysis in alcohol-related death investigation is well understood. Quantitative alcohol determination in a variety of postmortem specimens may provide important interpretive information. In a total of 322 consecutive cases, blood and vitreous alcohol concentrations were compared. No alcohol was detected in either specimen in only 27 of the cases. In the remaining 295 investigations, alcohol was detected in the vitreous fluid, blood, or both. Analysis of the data and presentation of case studies reinforce the need for multiple specimen analysis in alcohol-related death investigation. Postmortem blood and vitreous alcohol concentrations were compared in a series of 295 alcohol-positive cases. The vitreous alcohol concentration (VAC) exceeded the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in 209 cases (71%). blood alcohol concentrations exceeded vitreous concentrations in 81 cases (27%), and the concentrations were equivalent in 5 cases (2%). For the purpose of this study, samples that were negative in both specimens were excluded. In casework where the VAC > BAC, linear regression analysis indicated an R2 value of 0.958 (n = 209) and a VAC approximately 16% higher than the BAC. The VAC/BAC ratio was more variable at lower BACs (< 0.1 g/100 mL). The source of blood for this data set was predominantly femoral (n = 203), followed by heart (n = 5) and pleural cavity (n = 1). Although VAC/BAC ratios were more consistent at concentrations of 0.1 g/100 mL and above, the overall ratio ranged from 1.01 to 2.20. Of the 81 cases where BAC > VAC, a total of 24 cases indicated no vitreous alcohol. The range of blood alcohol concentrations among these cases was widely variable (0.01 to 0.30 g/100 mL). Unlike the VAC/BAC data set which consisted of 97% femoral blood, the source of blood in the BAC > VAC data set was slightly more variable. Of the 81 cases where BAC > VAC the blood source consisted of femoral (n = 68), heart (n = 8), pleural cavity (n = 2), carotid (n = 1), jugular (n = 1), and chest blood (n = 1). All analyses were conducted using dual-column gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection (GC-FID) with a reporting limit of 0.01 g/100 mL ethanol in postmortem samples. A series of case studies are used to demonstrate postmortem interpretive issues and the benefits associated with multiple specimen analysis. Cases include postmortem production of ethanol, rapid or unexpected death during the absorptive phase, and site-dependent differences following traumatic injury. Actual case studies involving other volatile organic compounds are also presented including isopropanol and acetone from endogenous and exogenous sources. Many of these cases studies highlight the difficulty associated with postmortem alcohol interpretation in the absence of multiple specimens or adequate case history.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/13. Alterations in human bones and teeth as a result of restricted sun exposure and contact with corrosive agents.Skeletal remains were discovered in an unused cistern near the Omaha, nebraska airport and were positively identified through comparison of antemortem and postmortem dental radiographs. Although nearly nine years had elapsed between death and discovery, the bones and teeth revealed evidence of the application of a corrosive substance at or about the time of death, as well as an unusual restricted response to sun exposure, that contributed to the prosecution and murder conviction of a member of Hell's Angels in the Omaha area.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/13. Lithopedion: case report and ultrastructural study of the skeletal muscle.A case of lithopedion (lythokelyphopedion) is reported in a 69 year old woman who had carried a nearly full term dead fetus for at least 20 years. The fine structure of the skeletal muscle was in an astonishingly good state of preservation with contractile elements and myosin molecules identifiable. The conditions and modifying factors that may play a role in the development of a lithopedion are discussed, and x-ray, histologic, and electron microscopic studies are described.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/13. Death by arsenic: a comparative evaluation of exhumed body tissues in the presence of external contamination.External contamination of hair or nails by inorganic arsenic compounds cannot effectively be removed with H2O or dilute HCl. The use of a modified Gutzeit apparatus allowed to establish or rule out external contamination. It was found that contaminated samples will generate large amounts of arsine gas when treated with Zn, Kl, SnCl2, and dilute HCl in a Gutzeit arsine generator. arsenic present in the sample due to metabolic deposition resulted in significant arsine formation only after digestion. In one chronic arsenic death, digestion increased the liberated amount of arsine from nail by a factor of twenty. Direct examination of hair and nail from a female resulted in values near 100 micrograms As/g tissue even after washing with HCl and H2O. Deep thigh muscle and spinal cord released arsine only after digestion. Control hair soaked in a NaAsO2 solution, washed and dried, bound 775 micrograms of As/g.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/13. The crash of the Partnair Convair 340/580 in the Skagerrak: identification of the deceased.In 1989, a Norwegian Convair aircraft crashed into the sea near the northwest coast of Jutland. Apparently, the aircraft had disintegrated in midair. On board were 50 passengers and a crew of 5. There were no survivors. Immediately after the crash 31 bodies were found. During the next 10 days, 11 bodies were recovered from the seabed and within the next 6 months, a further 8 bodies were found. Five bodies were never recovered. All the bodies found were positively identified based on personal effects combined with medical and dental findings. Different models for cooperation between the Primary ID-group, who were responsible for the final identification, and the ID-teams, who performed the examination of the bodies, were tested. It was concluded that the fastest and most reliable results were obtained when the ID-teams responsible for the examination of the bodies also took part in the reconciliation sessions.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = near (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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