Detection of semen in stains on material evidences by quantitative immunofluorescence test

Russian and foreign methods used in forensic medicine for detection of the semen in stains on material evidences are compared. The potentialities of quantitative immunofluorescence test for detection of the semen in stains on material evidences, developed at Bureau for Forensic Medical Expert Evaluations of the Leningrad region, are described. Unlike other methods used in Russia, this method detects the semen in stains in the absence of spermatozoa and in stains with very low amount of the semen. Our modification allows objective recording of the results with computer processing. The method is cheaper than its foreign analogs and its sensitivity is similar to them.     

Forensic medical evaluation of professional working capacity in victims, who needs additional care

The philosophy of evaluating the need of a victim in extra care is discussed. The method for evaluating the need in transport vehicles for the victim is described in detail. Legislative documents which help solve such problems are cited, including those used by committees of forensic medical evaluations.     

Comparative analysis fo heroin

A protocol for comparative analysis of heroin making use of chromatographic methods and infra-red spectroscopy is presented.     

Participation of forensic medics in anthropological examinations of the Orthodox church burials

Examinations of the rudiments of the Russian Orthodox Saints are reviewed. The burial of holy people in Russia is described. The results of examinations of rudiments of the Saints, Reverend Iosaph of Belgorod, Cornilai Padansky, and Arsenii Konevsky, are presented. A detailed algorithm of expert steps is suggested.     

Use of Adobe Photoshop software in medical criminology

Describes the method of comparative analysis of various objects in practical medical criminology and making of high-quality photographs with the use of Adobe Photoshop software. Options of the software needed for expert evaluations are enumerated.     

Pulmonary arterial fibromuscular dysplasia: a rare cause of fulminant lung hemorrhage

Arterial fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) represents a collection of noninflammatory and nonatherosclerotic vascular diseases with a poorly understood etiology. Classically occurring in renal and cerebral arteries, this entity has also been reported in coronary, carotid, and other medium and small arteries. One case occurring in the pulmonary vasculature has been reported. Fatal hemothorax and lung hemorrhage have multiple causes, including other vascular malformations and connective tissue disorders; however, cases of pulmonary FMD are exceedingly rare. We report what appears to be the second such association, occurring in a 69-year-old man. The patient presented with a 3-week history of increasing dyspnea, fatigue, and productive cough; 3 days of increasing back and chest pain; and syncope. Chest radiograph showed a "white-out" of the left lung. The patient died shortly after admission from a fulminant respiratory disease of undetermined etiology. At autopsy he was found to have a massive left hemothorax resulting from an unsuspected pulmonary arterial fibromuscular dysplasia.     

Arterial-esophageal fistulae in patients requiring nasogastric esophageal intubation

A rare and potentially fatal cause of hematemesis is fistula formation between the esophagus and the vascular system. A case report of a 39-year-old woman with congenital aortic arch anomalies hospitalized for treatment of head injuries demonstrates the potential for iatrogenic esophageal trauma to initiate fistula formation between the esophagus and an anomalous arterial system. A literature review revealed 6 other cases of vascular-esophageal fistulae caused by nasogastric esophageal intubation. It is concluded that aortic arch anomalies increase the risk of esophageal injury and subsequent fistula formation from nasogastric esophageal intubation. In addition, the clinical features and pathologic findings of vascular-esophageal fistulae are reviewed.