Forensic Pathology - Science topic

Background: An autopsy is the examination of the body of a dead person. The two types of autopsies that we studied are the conventional autopsy and virtual autopsy. Both play important roles in forensic and clinical autopsies. Therefore, in our study, the effectiveness of both autopsies is being compared as to which contributes more in determining...

Even though biochemical and molecular methods are under research for wound dating purpose, histology of the injury is still the mainstay of wound dating technique. Significance of knowing how old the wound is can have major implication in the delivery of justice. Similarly, subarachnoid hemorrhage may need to be dated in cases where other data for...

Death by collision with an incoming train is common in countries where a railroad network exists. In such cases, when there is severe pelvic trauma, the penis may be partially degloved and turned inside out. The inverted penile skin may then resemble a vulva and the scrotum may mimic labia majora, causing the injured male genitalia to strongly rese...

Forensic autopsies remain indispensable for accurately determining the cause and manner of death. However, pathologists face significant challenges inherent to the complex process of postmortem diagnostics (PMD), including the potential for diagnostic errors. The implementation of quality assurance (QA) mechanisms is crucial for minimizing these er...

Globally, thousands of truck occupants die annually from motor vehicle incidents. During medico-legal investigations of such incidents, forensic practitioners are required to undertake thorough examinations of the injuries present. Despite this, very few studies assessing skeletal fractures in particular, in deceased truck occupants are currently a...

Introduction This study aimed to assess students’ knowledge, awareness, and attitudes regarding forensic-medicine concepts taught during a Medicine and Surgery degree program at eight Italian universities. Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate the impact of the course on students’ knowledge and attitudes toward choosing medical residency. Mate...

Post mortem damage by predators varies with geography, climate, and location of cadavers. Frequently encountered facultatively parasitic terrestrial organisms include fly larvae (maggots), ants and beetles. This report describes for the first time opportunistic post mortem damage caused by the terrestrial flatworm Platydemus manokwari de Beauchamp,...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant global health concern and frequently encountered in medico-legal autopsies. Previous studies suggest that certain TBI subtypes are more likely to co-occur than others. Therefore, we aimed to explore the potential of latent class analysis (LCA) to identify and characterize primary head injury combination...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a major public health problem, being a leading cause of disability and mortality among young people in developed countries. Head trauma occurs across all age groups, each experiencing consistently high rates of mortality and disability. This review aims to present an overview of TBI epidemiology and its socio...

Forensic pathology plays a crucial role in investigating unnatural deaths, providing insights that influence legal and judicial outcomes. This systematic review examines case studies and procedures in forensic pathology to identify common methodologies, challenges, and trends in unnatural death investigations. By analyzing a selection of case studi...

Forensic medicine plays a pivotal role in modern criminal justice by providing scientific insights that aid in solving crimes, identifying victims, and ensuring the accurate administration of justice. This review examines the current practices in forensic medicine, including autopsies, toxicology, DNA analysis, and forensic anthropology, highlighti...

Autoerotic deaths, defined as accidental fatalities occurring during solitary sexual activities, show complex forensic challenges due to their different mechanisms and variable death scene presentations. This study combines a systematic review of global literature spanning 44 years (from 1980 to 2024) with a detailed case series analysis from the L...

In this paper, we present a forensic perspective on classifying gunshot wound patterns using Deep Learning (DL). Although DL has revolutionized various medical specialties, such as automating tasks like medical image classification, its applications in forensic contexts have been limited despite the inherently visual nature of the field. This study...

Death from falls accounts for a significant number of injuries and fatalities globally, often linked to suicides, workplace accidents, or substance abuse, and rarely to homicidal causes. Injuries from falls vary based on height, impact point, and surface struck, with severe trauma often seen, including visceral ruptures, organ lacerations, and comp...

Fat embolism (FE) is a historically recognised but still actively researched topic in forensic pathology. Several aspects remain not fully elucidated, such as its aetiopathogenesis, its causal role in death determination, the impact of interfering factors (e.g. cardiopulmonary resuscitation or other medical procedures) and both qualitative and quan...

Asphyxia is a critical condition characterized by inadequate oxygen supply to the body. Post mortem diagnostics of asphyxia present significant challenges in forensic pathology, particularly when there are equivocal signs during autopsy or uncertain circumstantial data. The identification of biochemical biomarkers that indicate asphyxia has emerged...

In the study, data from the literature regarding the use of computed tomography in post-mortem examinations (post-mortem computed tomography - PMCT) were analyzed. Literature data indicate that PMCT should be used as a complementary tool rather than an alternative to autopsy, detecting additional changes that may have been unnoticed due to anatomic...

Gunshot wound morphology and gunshot residues (GSRs) evaluation have been poorly investigated in veterinary forensic pathology. The aims of the present study were to assess the gunshot wound morphology in animals and evaluate the detectability of lead deriving from GSRs using colorimetric techniques. To these aims, cadavers were divided into four d...

To provide example cases within the peer-reviewed literature of a phenomenon related to certain gunshot wounds of the head where the bullet pathway courses along the inner table of the skull. Presentation of two cases discovered at medicolegal autopsy. The two cases provide radiologic and autopsy demonstration of bullet pathways within the head whe...

Introduction: Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) is an autosomal dominant disorder that results from mutations in the collagen type III gene. It is a risk factor for medium-sized artery aneurysms, dissections, and ruptures. We report a case of hemoperitoneum due to medial dissection and rupture of the superior mesenteric artery related to vEDS....

This study investigated the usefulness of histopathological examination in diagnosing ketoacidosis in hypothermia cases. Out of 79 cases (38 females), 30 showed basal vacuolization (BV), a representative histopathological finding of ketoacidosis, in their hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained specimens. Through the use of both lipid staining with osm...

The aim of this study is to review the available knowledge concerning the use of artificial Intelligence (AI) in general in different areas of Forensic Sciences from human identification to postmortem interval estimation and the estimation of different causes of death. This paper aims to emphasize the different uses of AI, especially in Forensic Me...

Purpose The risk factors that modulate one’s susceptibility for severe COVID-19 have been well documented. Despite this, hypercoagulability remains an often overlooked risk factor for severe disease for COVID-19. Because COVID-19 infection is a risk factor for hypercoagulability, a reasonable presumption/hypothesis is that patients with hereditary...

Sodium nitrite (SN, NaNO2) is a water-soluble, white-yellow crystalline powder with broad applications in food preservation, automotive maintenance, and animal control. It is a strong oxidizing agent that can oxidize hemoglobin iron (Fe) to its oxidized state, leading to methemoglobin formation. An increasing trend of suicide cases by SN ingestion...

Citation: Nioi, M.; Napoli, P.E.; Nieddu, D.; Chighine, A.; Fossarello, M.; d'Aloja, E. Creation of an Experimental Animal Model for the Study of Postmortem Dark Scleral Spots. Forensic Sci. 2024, 4, 487-498. https://doi.org/10.3390/ forensicsci4040032 Academic Editors: Emmanouil I. Sakelliadis and Sorin Hostiuc Abstract: Postmortem dark scleral sp...

This report aims to determine the cause of death from a forensic pathological perspective in a case of early death after heart transplantation. Using methods such as external examination, autopsy, and histopathological examination, we analyze the multiple factors leading to death in this case, particularly focusing on the heart donor aspects. Heart...

Femicide is a global phenomenon; yet there is no commonly accepted understanding of what counts as femicide. Different disciplines and approaches offer different definitions. Defining the term femicide is not only a purely lexical matter but also involves the aspect of data collection. Owing to the lack of a standardized definition, data collected...

Mechanical asphyxiation has been a common method used to commit homicide, including femicide, throughout history. A recent report by the United Nations has shed light on the issue of misidentification and concealment of gender-related killings, which makes it difficult to effectively fight against it. Forensic pathologists are frequently asked to e...

Forensic science is an integral part of the criminal justice system as it acts as a bridge between science and the law. The aim of this text is to introduce forensic science to readers and then to further explore the impact of forensic science on criminal investigations and the justice system, with a focus on Africa. Forensic science encompasses di...

This study investigated the injury patterns associated with fatal falls from heights compared to individuals struck by cars, aiming to enhance the differential diagnosis in ambiguous cases, where it is unclear whether the body fell from nearby building or was left on the street following a road traffic incident. A retrospective review of comprehens...

In forensic pathology, identifying causes of death in traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) devoid of observable signs presents a significant challenge. Post-mortem biochemistry plays a crucial role in forensic medicine, particularly in determining causes of death in TBIs that lack macroscopic or histopathological evidence. This study aimed to evaluate t...

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) affords the simultaneous sequencing of multiple DNA regions of interest and is becoming widely adopted into the routine molecular diagnostic pathways of many pathology...

Background: Diagnosis of drowning as a cause of death still remains a challenge in forensic pathology due to scanty pathognomic signs. Traditional diagnostic methods have shown limitations, prompting interest and pursuit on alternative approaches. One such approach involves analysing the weight of internal organs, particularly the lungs and spleen,...

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is considered the most found non-Hodgkin lymphoma in adults. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which also occurs in sporadic forms, is associated with some pathological conditions, including human immunodeficiency virus infection, especially if it progresses to AIDS. The authors report the case of a 45-year-old man with A...

Estimating the post-mortem interval is still one of the most complex challenges in forensics. In fact, the main tools currently used are burdened by numerous limitations, which sometimes allow the time of death to be placed only within too large time intervals. In recent years, researchers have tried to identify new tools to try to narrow down the...

To study the degradation of lncRNAs in EPMI in rat brain tissue, this study provides a new direction for the estimation of EPMI. LncRNA high-throughput sequencing was performed on the brain tissues of hemorrhagic shock model rats at 0 h and 24 h, and the target lncRNAs were screened. Samples at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 h after death were collected...

Post-mortem (PM) imaging has potential for identifying individuals by comparing ante-mortem (AM) and PM images. Radiographic images of bones contain significant information for personal identification. However, PM images are affected by soft tissue decomposition; therefore, it is desirable to extract only images of bones that change little over tim...

Mummification of corpses with partial skeletonization is not an uncommon occurrence in daily forensic work. Cooperation between different forensic fields is important in these cases in terms of obtaining the most accurate and forensically relevant results, especially when child abuse and neglect is suspected. In Central Europe, up to 21% of childre...

Background and Objectives: This study presents a retrospective analysis of 26 autopsy cases from a single centre, primarily focusing on forensic cases, with a majority of male individuals. Materials and Methods: We systematically analysed autopsy reports and cardiac tissue slides using haematoxylin-eosin stain and immunohistochemistry for CD3, CD16...

Background: Intrauterine fetal death and perinatal death represent one of the most relevant medical scientific problems since, in many cases, even after extensive investigation, the causes remain unknown. The considerable increase in medical legal litigation in the obstetrical field that has witnessed in recent years, especially in cases of stillbo...

: The phenomenon of dark scleral spots postmortem is well-known in forensic pathology, first de-scribed by Sommers in 1833. Despite this, their presence is currently considered a nonspecific sign, and their pathogenesis has received little attention in forensic literature. In recent years, however, preliminary studies have suggested new mechanisms...

Introduction: Facial gunshot wounds have devastating functional and aesthetic consequences for the patient. If associated with penetrating craniocerebral injuries, the prognosis is rather compromised even with appropriate medical and surgical treatment. Chop-off injuries with penetrating wounds constitute a challenging situation for the facial reco...

Virtual autopsy is an innovative method that has solidified its relevance in the field of forensic imaging. There are various post-mortem techniques, but post-mortem computed tomography and post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging stand out in the forensic area. This approach is capable of providing relevant expert evidence for Forensic Pathology, by...

Background Stress hormones like catecholamine and cortisol are thought to reflect the magnitude of physical stress in adults and were studied in relationship to the cause of death and agony time. Intrauterine distress, intrapartum events, and modes of delivery can affect the fetal endocrine stress response, as reflected by biochemical analyses. The...

Septic cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is a rare but often fatal complication caused by bacterial meningitis and paranasal sinusitis. We report a particular case of the sudden and unexpected death of a six-day-old infant from unrecognised acute meningitis that caused a thrombotic occlusion of the venous sinuses (with the particular involvement of...

Objectives In the first year of pandemic measures, opioid-related deaths across Ontario’s (ON) 34 public health units (PHUs) increased by 60%. Death rates for all seven Northern ON PHUs were above the provincial average. This study describes and compares factors surrounding opioid-related deaths before and after pandemic measures were introduced, f...

Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a clear liquid with a weak odor, slightly sweeter than ethanol, which is easily accessible. The last makes it a product of choice for intentional self-harm, severe intoxication, or even suicide. Accidental ingestion and homicidal usage are not exclusions. We present and discuss the case of a man in his 20s who was in c...

Although the postmortem interval estimation still represents one of the main goals of forensic medicine, there are still several limitations that weigh on the methods most used for its determination: for this reason, even today, precisely estimating the postmortem interval remains one of the most important challenges in the forensic pathology field...

While forensic pathologists have always played a pivotal role in victim identification after mass casualties, new developments in forensic methods have given forensic anthropologists more agency in positively identifying individuals who were previously unidentifiable.This review aims to contribute to the refinement of diagnostic tools, ensure optim...

This article examines the legal framework governing the forensic autopsies in Uganda. The article revealed that all types of unnatural deaths in Uganda are reported to nearest police station and appointed investigating police officer(s) who take necessary actions to have a medico-legal postmortem done as soon as possible. Currently there is neither...

Sudden cardiac death is a phenomenon that affects more than 200,000 individuals annually in the United States. Among sudden cardiac deaths, only a fractionally small portion is thought to be attributable to intracardiac neoplasms. Though rarely implicated as the primary cause of death, cardiac myxomas are the most common benign neoplasms of the hea...

Forensic pathology is critical in determining the cause and manner of death through post-mortem examinations, both macroscopic and microscopic. The field, however, grapples with issues such as outcome variability, laborious processes, and a scarcity of trained professionals. This paper presents SongCi, an innovative visual-language model (VLM) desi...

Death by Café' coronary syndrome is very rarely seen and at the same time challenging to interpret at the autopsy. We highlight the importance of autopsy in such cases and solve Café coronary at autopsy. Café coronary syndrome was first reported as sudden collapse at restaurants while dining. Death was attributed to neurogenic cardiac arrest due to...

Citation: Pallocci, M.; Passalacqua, P.; Zanovello, C.; Coppeta, L.; Ferrari, C.; Milano, F.; Gratteri, S.; Gratteri, N.; Treglia, M. Forensic Characterisation of Complex Suicides: A Literature Review. Forensic Sci. 2024, 4, 277-288. Abstract: Complex suicides refer to using two or more suicide modes. In the literature, complex suicides are disting...

Accurately identifying and differentiating the types of injuries in decomposed corpses is a major challenge in forensic identification. Forensic investigations involving decomposed cadavers pose challenges in determining the cause of death. Traditional methods often lack conclusive evidence. However, the implementation of advanced analytical techni...

Background: Teeth are the anatomical tissue with the highest resistance to the action of chemical and physical agents. This is one of the reasons that make teeth particularly useful in the identification process of skeletonized and carbonized human remains. The aim of this research is to analyze the colorimetric changes in the enamel of teeth subje...

Sudden death in infants remains a common and poorly understood cause of childhood mortality in the USA. Pediatric cardiac tumors, although rare, may underlie some cases of unexplained sudden infant death. Autopsy is a crucial diagnostic step in these cases, as both gross and microscopic examination of the heart may uncover occult cardiac tumors. Rh...

An aneurysm is an abnormal dilatation or bulging in a blood vessel due to the intrinsic weakness of the vessel wall. Cerebral aneurysms are more common over the age of 40, with a female-to-male ratio of 2:1. We report a case of a 56-year-old female rear passenger of a motorised two-wheeler with an alleged history of dizziness and fall from the bike...

Cases of battery ingestion are well documented in the scientific literature, especially concerning button cell battery ingestion in children. In this instance, the authors present an atypical case of a young man who voluntarily ingested a cylindrical alkaline battery containing manganese. The patient died approximately a week later, despite not exh...

Introduction: There are university curricular and extracurricular factors that can affect the specialization interests of medical students in a certain specialty, it is proposed that curriculum can help increase awareness and understanding, and reduce stigma in relation to typically deserted medical specialties. Objective: Compare the curriculum of...

Forensic pathologists need to have comprehensive knowledge of a large variety of causes of sudden natural death. We describe a case of sudden and unexpected death in woman in her sixties due to rupture of a large paraesophageal hematoma. The post-mortem examination and differential diagnosis are discussed. The combined findings of whole-body post-m...

For many years, the foundations of both its art and science in medicine grew from the observations made at the autopsy table. The observations of the pathologists formed the pathologic basis and manifestations of disease, which further advanced the development of therapeutics. For most of the 18th and 19th centuries, morbid anatomy (autopsy patholo...

Background There is a global increase in the number of deaths caused by violent neck asphyxia, which includes both suicides and homicides. This research presents autopsy-based findings and analytical demographic data that are pertinent to significant medicolegal cases. Methods A retrospective examination of 113 autopsy reports of non-accidental vio...

Hydatidosis or echinococcosis is an endemic parasitic disease caused by the ingestion of eggs of echinococcal species worldwide. In India, the annual incidence varies from 1 to 200 per one 100,000 hab., with the highest prevalence reported in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The dog is the definitive host, while humans, sheep, an...

A range of investigative practices to aid explosive-related death investigations currently exist, although the use of histopathological bone samples to diagnose blast exposure and the distance of individuals from the blast source has not been previously reported. Forensic histopathology has been used effectively on soft tissue samples to define bla...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a ubiquitous, common sequela of accidents with an annual prevalence of several million cases worldwide. In forensic pathology, structural proteins of the cellular compartments of the CNS in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been predominantly used so far as markers of an acute trauma reaction for the biochemic...