Search results for "Forensic pathology"
showing 10 items of 35 documents
Immunohistochemical study on dystrophin expression in CAD-related sudden cardiac death: a marker of early myocardial ischaemia
2018
The aims of this study were to assess if dystrophin can be a tool for the forensic evaluation of sudden cardiac death due to coronary atherosclerotic disease (CAD) and particularly if it can be a marker of early myocardial ischaemia. Then in this investigation, the dystrophin was compared to C5b-9 and fibronectin to analyze if there are some differences in the expression of these proteins. Two groups of CAD-related sudden cardiac death, respectively the group 1 with gross and/or histological evidence and the group 2 with no specific histological signs of myocardial ischaemia were used. A third group formed by cases of acute mechanical asphyxiation was used as a control. The immunohistochemi…
Sudden death in adolescence caused by cardiac haemangioma
2009
Primary tumors of the heart in infants and children are rare. The types of heart tumors in pediatric age groups are generally different from those in adults. Cardiac myxoma is by far the most common tumor in adults, but in infants and adolescents the prevalent tumor of the heart is rhabdomyoma. Among benign cardiac tumors, cardiac hemangiomas are rare and often diagnosed post-mortem due to the lack of specific clinical symptoms and signs. We report a case of sudden death due to cardiac hemangioma in an apparently healthy 15-year-old adolescent. The autopsy revealed a cardiac hemangioma located at the apex of the heart; the histopathological examination showed the tumor was a mixed capillary…
The pathogenetic role of adulterants in 5 cases of drug addicts with a fatal outcome
2013
The purpose of the present study is to determine the role of lidocaine, caffeine and dextromethorphan, used as adulterant substances, in five cases of drug overdose which have come to our attention. Taking into account the pharmacological mechanism, blood concentration and route of administration (intravenous) we evaluated the hypothesis that these substances could act with a synergistic effect - or at least additive - with the illicit drugs on the central nervous system and cardiovascular system.
Cervical necrotizing fasciitis and descending necrotizing mediastinitis in a patient affected by neglected peritonsillar abscess: a case of medical n…
2007
Abstract We report a case of fatal cervical necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) and descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) due to primary peritonsillar abscess in 60-year-old male patient with no history or evidence of immunocompromising disorders. The patient was treated with antibiotic and corticosteroid drugs but he developed mediastinitis and septic shock and died of multiple organ failure six days later from recovery in hospital. After a clinical, diagnostic and therapeutical consideration of the cervical necrotizing fasciitis and some related risks of a delayed diagnosis and treatment, the authors analysed the clinical history of the patient and of the medical conduct pointing out profess…
The role of PMCT for the assessment of the cause of death in natural disaster (landslide and flood): a Sicilian experience
2021
AbstractIn this report, the authors provide a contribution of PMCT in assessing the cause of death due to natural disasters. Here, the PMCT findings of 43 subjects who died during both landslide and flood were described. The post-mortem imaging revealed, clearly, traumatic injuries and/or the presence of foreign material in airways allowing to assess the cause of death of each subject, together with external inspection and the collected circumstantial data. Particularly, the PMCT has been helpful for characterization and localization of the clogging substance in airways providing findings on bronchial branches involvement. Moreover, the investigation offered detailed data on skeletal injuri…
Immunohistochemical detection of early myocardial infarction: a systematic review
2017
The postmortem diagnosis of early myocardial infarction is a challenge for forensic pathologists because the routine histology is neither specific. Many authors have suggested the use of the immunohistochemistry to fill the gaps in the histological diagnosis of early myocardial infarction. This review aims to analyse advances of immunohistochemical detection of early cardiac damage due to ischaemia. To this purpose, we reviewed experimental studies that investigated immunohistochemical markers and their estimated timing of expression. The review was performed according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a total of 23 studies assessing the immunohistochemical markers for the d…
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated with polyarteritis nodosa: A case of sudden cardiac death
2018
This case concerns a rare sudden cardiac death characterized by macroscopic and microscopic postmortem findings of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and polyarteritis nodosa. A complete autopsy was carried out, and histological and histochemical methods were employed. The cause of death was acute multifocal ischemic myocitolitic damage caused by both myocardial structural alteration attributable to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (widespread interstitial fibrosis and multifocal myocyte disarray) and coronary arteritis attributable to polyarteritis nodosa. This is the first case in which the cause of death was attributed to both diseases.
An unusual case of seat belt syndrome
2011
Seat belt syndrome refers to a constellation of injuries associated with sudden increase in intra-abdominal pressure in vehicle occupants wearing seat-belts; this work aimes to stress a particular pattern of perineal lesions in a rear passenger wearing seat belt.
How was the Turin Shroud Man crucified?
2014
As the literature is not exhaustive with reference to the way the Turin Shroud (TS) Man was crucified, and it is not easy to draw significant information from only a "photograph" of a man on a linen sheet, this study tries to add some detail on this issue based on both image processing of high resolution photos of the TS and on experimental tests on arms and legs of human cadavers. With regard to the TS Man hands, a first hypothesis states that the left hand of the TS Man was nailed twice at two different anatomical sites: the midcarpal joint medially to the pisiform between the lunate/pyramidal and capitate/uncinate bones (Destot's space) and the radiocarpal joint between the radio, lunate…