ABSTRACT
In some head trauma cases, there is no obvious cause of death and no brain lesions detected despite the positive history and the short survival time. This study was conducted to evaluate immune-histochemistry for Beta-Amyliod Precursor Protein [beta-APP] in detection of DAI. It was carried on 50 autopsy cases, 39 males and 11 females, aging between the 2[nd] to the 5[th] decades of life. Survival period was around 3 hours up to 4 weeks. The cause of head injury was determined. Complete autopsy were done. Selected brain sections were prepared for examination with routine hematoxylin and eosin [H and E], special stains Phosphotungstic Acid Hematoxylin [PTAH] stain and beta-APP, Neuro Specific Enulase [NSE], S 100, Synapto- Physin, Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein [GFAP] immunohistochemistry. The brain was assessed grossly at two settings; before its removal from the skull and after 2 weeks of fixation in 10% buffered formalin. The results revealed that, there is no significant difference between age and sex, the causes of head injury were more common due to violent assaults, and motor vehicle accidents. OAI is not always associated with skull fractures. There is a highly significant difference for the presence of intracranial hemorrhage. Both H and E stain and PTAH stain can diagnose brain edema, OAI, as regards axonal swelling and damage after 6 hours post traumatic survival period. In early survival stage, [beta-APP] is highly significant for detection of axonal swelling as early as 3 hours survival period. GFAP stain has highly significant value in detecting the glial cells and gilosois in the late survival stage. The beta-APP is a more sensitive and accurate method for early detection of OAI. It should be considered as an important technique that could provide valuable medico-legal evidences