Estimation of Stature by anthropometric measurements of Inter-Acromial Length.

Stature is an important parameter to establish identity of an unknown corpse. It is being used by medicolegal experts when either complete or parts of human body are recovered. A lot of criteria are available that can be used depending upon the part of the body recovered. To add to these criteria, a study was done with the objective of deriving a regression equation for estimating stature from the inter-acromial length. A cross-sectional study was done during one year period wherein 150 subjects in age group around 23 years were studied. Three sets of regression equations were derived after statistical analysis of the data. The study revealed that there exist a positive and significant correlation between stature and inter-acromial length in both the sexes and that stature can be estimated with the inter-acromial length when only upper parts of the trunk are available.

Gastric contents in respiratory tract a diagnostic dilemma at autopsy.

Gastric contents in the respiratory tract are commonly found at postmortem in acute alcoholism, occasionally during a fit of epilepsy and in dead bodies that have started decomposing. Quite infrequently it may be found in fresh bodies that have undergone sudden unexpected and unattended death leading to a dilemma as to the real cause of death with dearth of any other substantial evidence. Dead body of a 36-year-old lady was brought for post-mortem examination with history of unattended and unexpected death while taking bath after her afternoon meal. On gross and histopathological examination, there was no significant finding in the cardiovascular system but respiratory tract contained gastric contents with histopathology confirming vegetable matter in the terminal bronchioles. The conflicting literature on the difference between antemortem aspiration and postmortem spill of gastric contents into the respiratory tract led to a dilemma as to the real cause of death in present case. Dilemmas of the case with difficulties in diagnosis are being presented herewith.