Cathepsin activity in the myocardium and skeletal muscles as a sign of the time of death

Determination of postmortem interval according to the time course of cathepsins activity within 5 days since death was carried out using myocardium and skeletal muscles of white breedless rats and cadavers of people who died of craniocerebral trauma. Natural time course of changes in cathepsins activity was determined which makes it possible to use these values as one of criteria in determination of postmortem interval.     

Sudden death caused by hydatid embolism

An 18-year-old man died on the spot during a foot race. Previously, he had been in a healthy condition. Since the cause of his sudden death was unknown, a forensic autopsy was carried out. The autopsy revealed hydatid cysts in the right ventricle of the heart some of which had embolized the pulmonary arteries. In case of sudden death in endemic areas the possibility of a hydatid disease should be taken into consideration.     

An unusual death caused by strangulation

An accidental case of strangulation is reported in which the victim caught his head in the gap of a wooden shed. Before passing into unconsciousness rescue was attempted.     

Sudden death caused by malignant testicular tumors

Sudden unexpected death of apparent healthy young males due to malignant tumours are extremely rare in forensic autopsy material. We report on three such cases dying of pulmonary embolism caused by metastazing tumour of the testis. In each subject the tumour was localized to the right testis and consisted of two types of tumour tissue: Seminoma and embryonic carcinoma, the latter of which was always the metastazing one. Each of the cases represent different aspects of forensic medicine. In the first subject the tumour had remained undiagnosed in a recent medical examination. The second one underwent surgery because of acute abdomen and died intraoperatively and the third one died suddenly during antibiotic treatment, because the tumour had been mistakenly diagnosed as orchitis.     

Sudden death caused by 1,1-difluoroethane inhalation

A 20-year-old man was found dead on the floor next to a computer, with a nearly full can of "CRC Duster" dust remover located next to the deceased on the floor, and an empty can of the same product on the computer desk. Toxicologic evaluation using either gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or gas chromatography/flame ionization detector (GC/FID) method identified the active ingredient 1,1-difluoroethane (Freon 152a) in all tissues analyzed. Tissue distribution studies revealed highest concentration in central blood, lung, and liver. It is believed that the 1,1-difluoroethane inhalation was the cause of death.     

MRI detects hemorrhages in the muscles of the back in hypothermia

Morphological findings in death due to hypothermia are variable and predominantly unspecific. Goal of this study was to check the usefulness of post-mortem cross-sectional imaging methods in the diagnosis of externally invisible findings in death due to hypothermia. Three consecutive forensic cases that died due to hypothermia were examined using post-mortem multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to autopsy. MSCT excluded traumatic skeletal and fatty tissue injury. Using MRI, it was possible to detect hemorrhages within the muscles of the back in all three cases, a so far unknown finding in death due to hypothermia. MRI also allowed the detection of hemorrhages in the iliopsoas muscles. Wishnewsky spots remained radiologically undetected using the present examination techniques. In conclusion, hemorrhages of the muscles of the back might serve as a new sign of death due to hypothermia; however, additional studies on their specificity are necessary. Post-mortem MRI is considered as a good diagnosing tool for muscular hemorrhages, with a great potential for examination and documentation.     

The course of respiration in death caused by obstructive asphyxia

Experiments were carried out on 30 dogs to investigate the course of respiration during obstructive asphyxia. They were asphyxiated by occlusion of the exposed trachea. Intrathoracic pressure, blood pressure in the femoral artery, electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram readings were registered. In most cases, the respiration course during the dyspnea stage by occlusion of the trachea generally had an inspiratory character. In a few animals, when the trachea was occluded in the expiratory phase, there were a few positive expiratory respirations with moderate inspiratory movement and thereafter the respirations were inspiratory during the dyspnea stage. The terminal respirations, which occurred 1-2 min before the circulatory breakdown, were generally inspiratory, but in a few dogs they were expiratory.     

Unusual findings in a death caused by a car fire

Witnesses detected a burning car in the parking lot next to a discotheque in the early morning hours. After the fire had been extinguished, the charred body of the 23-year-old car owner was found in the driver's seat. The young man had been a guest of the discotheque the previous night and consumed plenty of alcoholic drinks. The traces left by the fire on the car suggested that the fire had started in the passenger compartment. At autopsy, greyish-brown discoloration and induration of the mucosa of the respiratory tract were found in addition to massive aspiration of soot and signs of soot swallowing. The macroscopic and histological findings pointed to a chemical burn of the airways probably caused by chlorine gases developing when the covering of the passenger compartment was burning. Chemical burns due to inhalation, aspiration and swallowing of soot are all signs of vitality, so that a smoldering fire must have gone on for a while inside the car with the windows closed. The most probable cause of the fire is that clothing or textile material in the car was set on fire by a burning cigarette.     

病毒性心肌炎累及传导系统致死1例报告

在临床上因心脏疾病致死者死因明确，死者家属一般不要求进行尸体解剖检验，但病毒性心肌炎(viral myocarditis)累及传导系统(cardic conduction svstem，CCS)致死时，一般需借助病理学检验才能明确诊断。本文现介绍一例临床拟诊为病毒性心肌炎，在持续心电监护下死亡的案例。     

Adult sudden death caused by aspiration of chewing gum

A case of a fatal foreign material aspiration is presented in the following text. A 24-year-old white male died suddenly. A piece of chewing gum lodged in a pool of frothy fluid was revealed at autopsy. Microscopic examinations revealed atelectasia emphysema, eosinophilic exudate and empty spaces. Blood and urine samples were analyzed, for alcohol and drug use by fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) on an Abbott AXSYM system. No alcohol or other drugs were detected in blood or urine.     

病毒性心肌炎累及传导系统致死1例报告

在临床上因心脏疾病致死者死因明确,死者家属一般不要求进行尸体解剖检验,但病毒性心肌炎(viralmyocarditis)累及传导系统(cardicconductionsystem,CCS)致死时,一般需借助病理学检验才能明确诊断。本文现介绍一例临床拟诊为病毒性心肌炎,在持续心电监护下死亡的案例。案例某女,23岁。因“胸闷、腹胀2天”于某年11月10日中午入院,诉2天前出现发热、头昏、呕吐,无腹泻。入院查体:T36.5℃,P120次/分,R22次/分,BP120/64mmHg,双肺叩诊清音,未闻及干、湿性罗音及胸膜摩擦音,心尖区无隆起,心界叩诊不大,心率120次/分,律齐,各瓣膜区未闻及病理性…     

冠心病合并冠状动脉血栓猝死的法医病理学特征

目的探讨冠心病合并冠状动脉血栓形成导致猝死的法医学特征。方法收集96例因冠心病而猝死的案例,并将其分为血栓形成组与无血栓形成组,对发病时间、诱因、病理特征等方面进行分析。结果两组都以男性为主,在季节和时间节律分布、诱因构成上差异无统计学意义,但血栓形成组中年龄〈40岁发病率更高;血栓形成组的心脏质量和冠脉狭窄程度低于无血栓形成组,而两组冠脉粥样硬化累及的支数（≥2）、累及长度及合并心梗等指标差异均无统计学意义,但血栓形成组有低于无血栓形成组的趋势。结论两组人群都以男性为主且发病诱因、冠脉病变部位及致死机制相似,但血栓形成组的发病年龄较轻,心脏的病变程度较低,法医学解剖中当认真鉴别。     

Syncope and sudden death caused by mitral valve myxomas

Two adults experienced syncopal episodes before dying suddenly. The autopsies revealed mitral valve myxomas. Mitral valve myxomas producing syncope and sudden death are discussed.     

Diagnostics of hypothermia in death after cold temperature was over

The prevalence and morphological peculiarities of signs, which are most typical of factors of hypothermia in death due directly to cold and in death after the low-temperature factor is over, as well as the related therapeutic-and-resuscitation measures, were studied. A significantly decreasing detection frequency and a decreasing pronouncement degree of a majority of the basic diagnostic criteria applicable to supercooling were established for the second variant of than atogenesis. Possible reasons of their pathomorphism are defined. The derived regularities need to be duly taken into consideration in order to ensure an objective diagnosis of supercooling in expertise of cold injury received under appropriate conditions.