Diagnostic markers of physically abused children in autopsy cases

This study was performed on 15 cadavers of physically abused babies to identitydiagnostic markers, particularly at both radiological and histopathologicallevels. For every case, complete external examination and X-ray imaging weredone. Autopsy was performed and histopathological specimens were taken frombrain, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys and areas of skin containingrecent or old traumatic or pathological lesions. Samples were processed andexamined by light microscopy. Some new changes were revealed, particularly atthe histopathological level including fibrotic changes in both spleen andliver, recent bleeding on top old scars or keloids and papillomatosis of skin. Other diagnostic features were also found such as the string beaded appearanceof malunited fractured ribs, the calcified hematoma and cortical splitting oflong bones, the rheumatoid-like deformity of interpharyngeal joints and thewide- spread cautery burns. In all cases, multiplicity of traumatic lesions[particularly the old ones] was the predominating factor

qualitative technique for routine human identification by using lateral x-ray images of head

A qualitative identification technique was designed and performed on 200 adultmale cadavers. Lateral X-ray images were taken for the head in each case andthe unrequired spaces of the images were minimized. The X-ray images werethen photographed in group [6-10 cases in each picture]. The pictures werearranges in a file form [10 cases in each row of the page, making it possibleto group 100 cases in one page]. Contact tracing was then performed onfrontal sinus, forehead boundary, jaws and teeth. Zoom pictures were alsotaken for those compartment. The study revealed that the contrast of frontalsinus and its details were high in lateral X-ray film, and there were no twopersons identical in the appearance of this sinus. Examination and contracttracing of forehead boundaries and linear details of jaws, teeth and spacesbetween them showed also great variations in these details among persons. Thetechnique designed in this study is simple, reliable, and economic. It doesnot require high technical or professional procedures. It could be applied asan identification system in routine fields particularly in mass disasters aswell as in criminal identification

Specific morphologic alteration of different corrosives on human skin: a light microscopic study

In the present study, the effect of the most common corrosive acids [sulfuric,nitric, hydrochloric and carbolic], alkalis [sodium and potassium hydroxides]and one salt [mercuric chloride] were studied in human skin histopathologicalsections stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin. Sulfuric acid produced charring,homogenization and destruction with formation of epidermal reticulated spaces. Nitric acid has led to the formation of under surface bullae, distortion ofstructures and darkening of vascular contents. Hydrochloric acid causedsevere surface corrugation, formation of surface extension as well as deeperinvagination of epidermis and corrugation and spacing of collagen fibers. Carbolic acid has led to increased staining affinity of epidermis and dermisand loosening of keratin layer. Sodium and potassium hydroxide corrosionswere characterized by dissolution and granulation of epidermis. Mercuricchloride caused reticulation of keratin layers with diffusion of staining. The study recommended the necessity of taking skin routinely in cases ofsuspected death from corrosive poisoning

In situ postmortem changes of rat red blood cells. A light, fluorescence, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy

No work has been done on the determination of postmortem morphologic changesof red blood cells by combined microscopic techniques. In the present work,in situ postmortem changes of red blood cells in rat livers were studied atdifferent postmortem times [from 4 to 48 hours] by light, fluorescencescanning and transmission electron microscopy. For light fluorescence andscanning electron microscopy, combined examination of the same sample wasperformed using hematoxylin and eosin, aniline blue and manual fracturingtechniques, respectively. For transmission electron microscopy, separatespecimens were used. The results showed that light microscopy was onlyefficient at late postmortem times as manifested by decreased or losteosinophilia. The other techniques particularly scanning electron microscopywere efficient at all times. The changes could be classified into early,intermediate and late. The most evident early postmortem changes [4 hours]were fluorescence shift from green to yellow, start of cell disaggregation andspacing and loss of normal attached surface granules. The intermediatechanges [12 and 42 hours] included decreased to lost eosinophilia, formationof hallow fluorescence, evident cell deformity and disaggregation andformation of surface vesicles and blebs. The late stage changes [48 hoursloss of both eosinophilic and fluorescence staining affinity and wide spreadscrentation or sloughing of red cell membranes. The study recommended the useof in situ red blood cells markers for the estimation of postmortem intervals aswell as the extent of autolytic changes in the medicolegal and pathologicalspecimens

Effect of pH on autolytic histological changes of liver cells

In the present work, rat liver tissue were incubated in different phosphatebuffer solution [pHs 4, 6, 7, 9 and 11] for different periods of times [2, 4and 12 hours]. Hematoxylin and eosin stained sections were studiedmicroscopically by oil immersion objective lens. The results showed that, atacidic PHs, the cells and their nuclei tend to shrink with relatively betterpreservation of structures and increased staining affinity even 12 hoursautolysis. At pH 11, the appearance of liver tissue was very deterioratedeven at 2 hours autolysis. At neutral PH, staining affinity of cells weremoderately low with less preservation of structure than at acidic ormoderately alkaline PHs. The study highly recommended the consideration ofunusual PH changes before any interpretation of antemortem or postmortemhistopathological changes or estimation of time of death. The study alsorecommended routine microscopic examination of liver tissue in autopsy cases, inwhom unusual PH deviation is expected such as some poisons or diabeticketoacidosis. In case of tissue fixation, whether by formalin orgluteraldehyde, it was recommended to adjust PH accurately to avoid artifactsdue to PH deviation