Cardiac rupture due to fall: a case study

Studies have shown that cardiac ruptures due to blunt trauma are seen more often than expected. However, epicardial injuries and atrial ruptures are common findings in deaths due to falls. Our aim is to present a unique, isolated cardiac rupture in a 2 year-old child resulting from a fall from a bed, to evaluate autopsy findings among the literature from a medico-legal point of view.

The Significance of Hemosiderin Deposition in the Lungs and Organs of the Mononucleated Macrophage Resorption System in Infants and Children

Hemosiderin deposition is not often recognized on routine examination with hematoxylin and eosin staining; however, iron stains may be helpful in the evaluation of hemosiderin deposition in infant autopsies. This report describes the data obtained from autopsy of 86 infants and children whose deaths were investigated at the Forensic Medicine Council Bursa Morgue Department from January 2000 to January 2003. A histochemical technique was used to identify hemosiderin in lung, liver and spleen specimens, which was correlated with other descriptive variables such as the reported cause of death, postmortem interval, trauma history, gender, and age. There was a weakly positive but significant correlation between lung and liver hemosiderin scores (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, rho=0.348, p=0.001); i.e., given an increase in lung hemosiderin scores, an increase in liver hemosiderin scores was also observed. Similarly, a marked positive correlation between spleen and liver hemosiderin scores (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, rho=0.335, p=0.002) was observed. The probability of spleen hemosiderin-positive cases belonging to the age group under 6 months was found to be 4.3 times greater than those who were hemosiderin-negative (95% confidence interval, 1.6-11.8). After the major differential diagnoses were ruled out, this study demonstrated, that depending on the statistically assessed morphometric grounds, the presence of hemosiderin deposits in the liver and spleen were significantly higher in the age group under 6 months.

unusual case of thorax compression

A 33-year-old man was found 20 Cm upper of the floor, compressed by rubbish container in the elevator in an unusually awkward position. The scene investigation corresponded exactly with the localization of the injuries found in the victim. This is a case of death by thorax compression without other fatal factors in which the force causing the chest compression was distinctly determined by the autopsy and scene investigation as accidental traumatic asphyxia

Mesenteric volvulus in children: two autopsy cases and review of the literature

Small bowel mesenteric volvulus when compared with mesocolonic volvulus, have not high incidence. Two autopsy cases of small bowel mesenteric volvulus in infants, highlighting the importance of a suspicion in early recognition of this rare but potentially fatal intra-abdominal emergency are reported. We also review the literature on possible aetiologies and mechanism of small bowel mesenteric volvulus, as well as its management