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Fatal Pressure Over Neck by Hanging
Published in Sudhir K. Gupta, Forensic Pathology of Asphyxial Deaths, 2022
Livor mortis was present in glove and stock pattern. Petechial hemorrhages were present in both lower limbs due to prolonged hypostasis or postmortem lividity (Figure 4.21). Tip of the tongue was slightly protruded and bitten. Cyanosis was present over nail beds, which was due to the asphyxial nature of the death (Figure 4.22). Dribbling of saliva from the mouth was seen on the left side, which co-related with the position of the head during suspension. Discharge of semen was observed in this case, which is seen in many cases of hanging, usually due to the rigor mortis of the muscle lining the seminal vesicles, and it is also considered by a few as due to the central nervous system stimulation in asphyxial deaths (Figure 4.23). Seminal discharge was present from penis, which also caused a stain over the pants and was confirmed by the cytology report, stain analysis and DNA matching with the deceased. The internal viscera were congested. Petechiae were present in lungs.
A Methodological Approach to the External Examination
Published in Cristoforo Pomara, Vittorio Fineschi, Forensic and Clinical Forensic Autopsy, 2020
Stefano D’Errico, Monica Salerno
Body temperature should always be recorded, preferably at the scene. In jurisdictions where the physician does not always travel to the scene, experienced death investigators can, at least, take rectal, if not liver, temperatures. At the same time, the ambient air temperature should be recorded. Obviously, if the body is found naked in subzero weather, the observation alone may help to limit the differential diagnosis. The dictated report should also note the temperature at the time of autopsy and whether the cadaver had been refrigerated. The presence or absence of rigor mortis and distribution of livor mortis (hypostasis) should be documented at the scene and again at the time of autopsy.
Homicide
Published in Burkhard Madea, Asphyxiation, Suffocation,and Neck Pressure Deaths, 2020
Burkhard Madea, Musshoff Frank, Schmidt Peter
Autopsy was performed 3 days later. External examination revealed livor mortis of inconspicuous colouration distributed in keeping with the initial position of the corpse, petechiae and purpura in the area of livor mortis, intense congestion of the face, a discrete bruise at the front of the neck, and a linear abrasion on the right lateral aspect of the neck. Internal examination showed an underlying fracture of the right superior horn of the thyroid cartilage, but no further injuries of the soft tissues of the neck. Neither penetrating bleeding wounds of the skull nor defence wounds were found. The remainder of the autopsy revealed a fatty liver and pronounced visceral congestion, in particular involving the buccal, pharyngeal, laryngeal, oesophageal and gastric mucosae; no erosions, ulcerations or necrosis were observed. The stomach contained a few millilitres of a viscous brown fluid without suggestive additional compounds. A characteristic pungent odour, usually likened to that of bitter almonds, was not noted.
Biochemical markers of time since death in cerebrospinal fluid: A first step towards “Forensomics”
Published in Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 2019
Pierre-Antoine Peyron, Sylvain Lehmann, Constance Delaby, Eric Baccino, Christophe Hirtz
After death, the structure and composition of the human body are considerably altered by a complex series of pathological and biochemical processes [4]. As several of these changes occur sequentially, various methods have been proposed to estimate the TSD based on these processes. In the early PMI, that is, before the onset of microbial proliferation [5], these methods are mainly based on physical/physicochemical progressive changes, such as body cooling, livor mortis (hypostasis) and rigor mortis. Supravital reactions, including postmortem excitation-induced reactions of tissues (e.g. mechanical and electrical excitability of skeletal muscle) and pharmacologically induced excitability of the iris, may also be used [6]. Later on, bacterial processes (referred to as putrefaction) and entomology may be considered [6,7]. These different methods are still routinely used, although they give only imprecise estimates of the PMI. Indeed, they are influenced by a variety of factors that tend to introduce considerable errors, including external (or environmental) factors, such as ambient temperature and humidity and internal (or endogenous) factors, such as pre-existing diseases, age or body mass index [3,8,9].
Post-mortem interval estimative through determination of catalase and Δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase activities in hepatic, renal, skeletal muscle and cerebral tissues of Swiss mice
Published in Biomarkers, 2019
Jaini J. Paltian, Caren A. R. da Fonseca, Mikaela P. Pinz, Cristiane Luchese, Ethel Antunes Wilhelm
Determination of cause and the time of death or post-mortem interval (PMI) is one of the most important and frequently asked questions in forensic science. After the death of an individual occur different process of degradation and putrefaction in the body, such as algor mortis, livor mortis, rigor mortis, DNA (Watson 2010) and RNA degradation (Bauer 2003), metabolites concentrations, enzymes activity (Knight 1996, Henssge and Madea 2007), among others that can provide an estimate PMI. These changes that advance in an orderly manner until the disintegration of the body are highly important in determining PMI.