Journal of forensic sciences
-
A number of questions must be asked before asthma can be accepted as a valid diagnosis: were the episodes of shortness of breath investigated? Are there changes at autopsy in keeping with asthma? Did asthma either contribute to the terminal episode, cause death, or was it coincidental? Finally, is it possible that other conditions may have accounted for the clinical manifestations? A review of files at FSSA over a 10-year period from 1999 to 2008 identified six cases where shortness of breath and/or wheezing had been incorrectly attributed to asthma. Five were due to pulmonary thromboembolism and one to multiple injuries. ⋯ There was no morphological evidence of asthma in any case. Autopsy examination may, therefore, be crucial in revealing other conditions that may have caused or contributed to episodic breathlessness that may have been incorrectly attributed to asthma.
-
Suicide by burning is an extreme act that is uncommon in the United States and throughout the Western world. The characteristics of people who complete such acts are not well understood. To address this issue, we examined the death records of the King County Medical Examiner's Office in Washington State over the 13 years from 1996 to 2009. ⋯ Self-burning predominantly occurred at the decedent's residence with the intent of suicide given. There was no unifying theme in motivating factors. Together, these data represent the characteristics of people whose death is because of suicide by burning in King County, Washington.
-
Injuries to the upper cervical spine (UCS) are common in traumatic deaths and postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) may contribute to the forensic investigation. This study presents PMCT in comparison with autopsy in the examination of UCS injury. Thirteen consecutive cases with UCS fracture and ⁄ or cranio-cervical dislocation were examined with PMCT and autopsy, and the findings were correlated. ⋯ Medico-legal autopsy in combination with PMCT produced a thorough evaluation of UCS injuries. By combining these procedures detailed investigations, including accident reconstruction and injury pattern analysis, can be performed. This study supports the routine application of PMCT, as a supplement to the medico-legal autopsy of deaths with UCS injuries.
-
Case Reports
Multiple self-inflicted stab wounds to neck, chest and abdomen as a unique manner of suicide.
This is a case report of a 30-year-old man found dead in his flat lying on the floor with multiple stab wounds over the body, surrounded by an extensive volume of blood. Examination of the scene of death showed a secure flat, locked from inside. ⋯ Autopsy revealed more than 40 stab wounds to neck, chest, and abdomen arranged in isolated groups within which the wounds showed similar directions and had a transverse orientation. Together with hesitation marks located on the neck and wrists these characteristics allowed to interpret this case as a suicide.
-
Bodies found in water present several diagnostic challenges for the forensic examiner, such as the identification of the time and mechanism of death, the postmortem submersion time, and above all the circumstances of drowning. We report the case of a 33-year-old security guard found dead in Venice, in the water of the lagoon, who at autopsy presented a previously undiagnosed hydrocephalus with macrocephaly. ⋯ In the article, we emphasize the need to perform a thorough autopsy in all suspected drownings, discuss the etiopathogenesis of the neurological disease and hypothesize a possible relationship between the hydrocephalus and the drowning accident. Finally, we discuss the major clinical and forensic implications of macrocephaly and hydrocephalus in adults.