Comparison of lambdoid suture closure by X-Ray and CT scan in two states of India.

In the present study, herewith comparison is done for closure of squamous suture of skull of living individuals from Punjab and Rajasthan. The cases studied in Punjab are 100 individuals between the age group of 45 years to 70 years with age interval of five years and twenty cases from each age group were studied who were CT scanned for closure of squamous suture at Rajindra Hospital Patiala (Punjab). In Rajasthan (SMS Hospital Jaipur), X-ray examination of 100 individuals was done having age group 40 years to 70 years with age interval of ten years in male and female separately for squamous suture closure and accordingly the squamous suture is divided into 2 parts-(1) Upper half(½), (2)Lower half (½). In both studies, squamous suture is studied ectocranially. It is seen that endocranially suture closure will not give reliable results and sometimes endocranially sutures remain unfused for whole life. No differences in right or left side of squamous suture have been reported by Todd and Lyon. Occasionally there is considerable sclerosis and condensation along the various sutures, particularly sagittal, squamous and coronal suture.

Correlation of CT scan with postmortem findings of acute head trauma cases at SMS Hospital, Jaipur.

Epidemiological information is of great importance in the allocation of resources for the treatment and in formulating policy designed to reduce the incidence, morbidity and mortality of head injuries. In our country much epidemiological data regarding head injuries are not available, hard to find or inaccurate. The reasons for this are several there is no centrally run health care system in the country and head injury cases are managed by a wide variety of Government, Municipal and Private hospitals. The National Health Statistics compiled in the vital statistics in our country give incomplete information regarding head injuries while it is possible to determine mortality from cancer or heart diseases or number of other illness from vital statistics but same is not true for head injuries. Accidental deaths are catalogued as to etiology (for example, death from falls, motor vehicle etc.) and there is no information available as to the part of the body injured. The present study is an attempt to analyse epidemiological aspects of acute head trauma and evaluate the correlation of finding by various diagnostic modalities.

Age assessment from radiological cranial suture closure in fourth to seventh decades (A Jaipur based study).

Reasonably a correct estimation of age in important in Legal, Medical, Social and Administrative matters i.e. regularization of temporary employee, retirement from service or superannuation, re-employment in services, settlement of pension cases, distribution of old age pension, potency certification, for relaxation in imprisonment on the grounds of old age and good behavior of a prisoner, to provide senior citizen benefits etc. In the dead person the age estimation at the time of autopsy is done to help the Investigating Officer. In India and other countries the task of scientific confirmation of disputed age issue of civil and criminal nature is the domain of Forensic Expert. This study is done to determine the age of individual in the fourth decade to seventh decades by correlating radiological finding of various views of skull along with the other physical findings. Maximum Number of cases was in the age group of 51-55 yrs (17%). Female to male ratio was 1:2.2, 66% cases were urban and 34% were rural, 72% Hindu and 73% were from Middle class.

Heat induced morphological changes in the brain.

In severe conflagration the terminal state of the body often does not reflect the condition at the time of death. Some-times death might have occurred before any heat reaches the body and the death might have been caused by inhalation of smoke. It is difficult or rather impossible for the forensic expert to determine the extent of ante-mortem damage caused by flames. The classical distinction of “red flare or vital reaction” are usually absent in such cases. Destruction of the victim by fire is one of the oldest methods used by murderers to conceal their crime, and hence every death by burning require the most meticulous medico-legal scrutiny. Here we report an unusual cases of heat induced morphological changes in brain in a 60 years male, who was addicted to alcohol and smoking and found burnt on his bed in a locked room from inside. Typical vital reaction was not appreciable anywhere on the body so as to frame the opinion in favour in ante-mortem burns but on of dissection of skull certain unusual gross pathological finding was observed which helped in framing the opinion in favour of “Death due to accidental antemortem flame burns”.