Postmortem sperm retrieval in context of developing countries of Indian subcontinent.

There was a request for postmortem sperm retrieval (PMSR) from the wife of a deceased, but we had to decline. We have no guideline in place for the procedure in such cases. When we explored the international scenario on the issue of PMSR, we found that most of the developed countries have their guidelines about it, whether to allow or not to. There is not guideline available in developing countries, as such, for the procedure and various medical, legal, and social issues related thereto. In this article, we have explored the status of postmortem retrieval and feasibility of the procedure in developing countries of Indian subcontinent.

Sperm motility and viability extracted from penile tract of corpses: A preliminary study.

Posthumous sperm retrieval is a procedure in which spermatozoa are extracted from a man after he has been pronounced legally brain dead. Sperm retrieval from the penis has not been studied previously to the best of our knowledge. Our purpose was to determine the motility and viability of sperm from the penis with increasing time intervals from death. There was a progressive decrease in sperm motility with increasing post-mortem intervals, with a progressive increase in non-motility. Similarly, the sperm viability also showed a decreasing pattern with the increasing post-mortem interval. The sperm were found to be viable up to 24 h after death. Penile tract sperm retrieval has not been previously studied as far as we know.

Estimation of height from the length of the sternum in an adult Indian population.

Stature estimation is one of the essential early steps during forensic investigation of human skeletal remains. The aim of the present study was to obtain a linear regression formula for estimating stature from sternal length of a central Indian population. The study includes 92 male cadavers brought for medico-legal autopsies. The linear regression equations were derived from manubrium, mesosternum and the total sternal length. The regression model provided a 95% confidence interval of ±14.8 cm and a correlation coefficient of 0.55. Compared with other studies, regression formulae based on the length of the sternum provided considerably larger standard errors than that based on long bone lengths. The study indicates that sternal length in relation with body stature shows a moderate positive correlation and relatively low reliability in estimating stature, and has limited forensic value.

Suicide behind bars: A 10-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Studies conducted in several countries have found an increase in suicide rates in custody than the general population. AIMS: The aim was to assess the trends of suicide in custody and to identify characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined all available files of the death of people in custody through 2001 to 2010. Information collected included age, sex, type of custody, place of death, presence of any associated disease, history of any psychiatric illness, substance abuse, and cause of death. RESULTS: A total 173 autopsies was performed out of which 14 cases were of suicide. The mean age was 31.71 years. 71.42% deaths were noted in police lock-ups while 28.57% were recorded in prison. Hanging was the common method of suicide followed by poisoning. CONCLUSION: Suicide in custodial setting is preventable problem in India. Preventing suicide in custody needs cooperation and coordination from various agencies.

Determination of sex by discriminant function analysis of mandibles from a Central Indian population.

CONTEXT: Identification of sex from skeletal remains is one of the important forensic considerations. Discriminant function analysis is increasingly used to determine the sex from skeleton. AIMS: To develop discriminant function to determine sex from mandible in a Central Indian population. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a prospective study done at the Department of Anatomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mandibles used in the present study were from the museum specimens. Only 82 adult mandibles (55 male and 27 female) that had been preserved were selected. Ten mandibular parameters were measured. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Statistical analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows, version 16. The level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Using stepwise discriminant function analysis, only six variables were selected as the best discriminant between sexes, with the projection length of corpus mandibulae being the most dimorphic. It was observed that sex classification accuracy of the discriminant functions ranged from 57.3 to 80.5% for the individual variables, 81.7% for the stepwise method, and 85.4% for the direct method. CONCLUSION: The results of the study show that mandibles can be used for determining sex and the results are comparable with other similar studies. The studied mandibular variables showed sexual dimorphism with an accuracy comparable with other skeletal remains, next to cranium and pelvis.

Injuries over neck in hanging deaths and its relation with ligature material: is it vital?

Hanging is a common suicidal means adopted. Careful inspection and noting of ligature mark is a vital factor during medico-legal postmortem. Ligature material used by the deceased is an important factor causing ligature mark in hanging. Apart from the ligature mark there are other injuries over neck surrounding it, which are called as 'peri-ligature injuries'. Peri-ligature injuries such as blisters, bruise, abrasion, etc. are influenced by different types of ligature material involved. These peri-ligature injuries are important for commenting on the antemortem nature of hanging in addition to other factors. Thus the present study on hanging deaths was carried out to see the relation of ligature material and different injuries occurring over the neck.

Fatal subcutaneous emphysema by manja: a deadly string.

'Manja' is an abrasive string which is gummed, coloured and coated with powdered glass used in fighter kites in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chile, India, Nepal, Pakistan, etc. Subcutaneous emphysema occurs when gas or air is present in the subcutaneous layer of the skin either because of blunt and penetrating trauma, chest surgeries or by necrotising skin infections such as gangrene. Here, we present a case of subcutaneous emphysema owing to a cut-throat injury by 'manja', which is rare and has not been reported to date to the best of our knowledge.

A fatal mongoose bite.

Animal bite is a bite wound from a pet, farm or wild animal. Dog bites make up 80-85% of all reported incidents. Cats amount for about 10% of reported bites and other animals such as rodents, rabbits, horses, raccoons, bats and monkeys amount to 5-10%. Bites by mongoose are uncommon. Here, we present a case of fatal mongoose bite to an elderly woman who died as a complication of streptococcal infection at the bite site.

Estimation of stature from maxillo-facial anthropometry in a central Indian population.

BACKGROUND: For establishing identity, stature is an important parameter in medico-legal and forensic examination. AIMS: To estimate stature from facial parameters. SETTING AND DESIGN: Prospective study conducted from December 2007 to September 2008 in the Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Nagpur. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 470 healthy medical students were taken, comprising 260 males and 210 females in the age group of 18 to 24 years. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data were analyzed using regression analysis and correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The average height of males and females was 170.97 (± 6.80) cm and 156.89 (± 5.89) cm respectively. It was observed that in males the total facial height had greater correlation with stature (r = 0.19) and had standard error of ±6.68 cm. In females, nasal height had greater correlation with stature (r = 0.19) and had standard error of ±5.78 cm CONCLUSION: It can be stated that percutaneous facial dimensions are not good predictors of accurate stature estimation and can be used when other parameters are not available.

Orthopantomographic evaluation of canine and first premolar using Demirjian's stages in central India: new approach to forensic age estimation.

Teeth development is widely used for age estimation in forensic science. The aims of this study were as follows: first, to establish Indian data on canine and first premolar development for age estimation and second, to investigate population differences in teeth development. Orthopantomograms of 340 Indian children aged between 5 and 14 years were analyzed. Demirjian's stages were recorded for the developmental evaluation of canine and first premolar and for further descriptive statistical analysis. A two-way ANOVA was performed to test the significance of difference in teeth development by sex and stage. A one-way ANOVA was performed to investigate population differences in teeth development. Results showed statistically significant differences in teeth development by sex and stage. Accordingly, teeth development was earlier in girls. No statistically significant differences were observed in timings of Demirjian's stages among different populations. In conclusion, the findings of this study could be used for age estimation of Indian children.

Evaluation of histologic changes of the skin in postmortem period.

Determination of the time of death is an important consideration in forensic practice. Many methods have been attempted to accurately and systematically determine the postmortem interval (PMI). Histologic examination of the skin or appendages is one of the methods tried by few researchers. However, no attempt had been made to analyze the histologic changes in the skin and appendages simultaneously and to compare them with PMI. We sequentially studied the histologic changes of the skin and appendages in the early PMI. The results of the present study show that the skin undergoes progressive morphological changes in the postmortem period. The epidermis and the dermis appeared normal for 6 hours after death, and after this period, degenerative changes began. By 6 to 9 hours after death, degeneration began in the dermis, and by the end of 18 hours, the dermis began to disintegrate. The sweat glands appeared normal for approximately 3 to 4 hours. For 18 hours after death, the sebaceous glands and hair follicles appeared normal, and after this period, degeneration began.

Postmortem analysis of synovial fluid and vitreous humour for determination of death interval: A comparative study.

This study has been extended to compare directly the accuracy of determining death interval from biochemical parameter of synovial fluid and vitreous humour. In 154 medicolegal cases with known time of death both fluids were taken and analyzed for sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, creatinine, glucose, and urea. Both fluids showed comparable values. The study indicates that level of potassium and glucose levels in synovial fluid for determining death interval are atleast as accurate as if not more accurate than potassium and glucose levels in vitreous humour. Nevertheless determination of level of potassium in synovial fluid and vitreous humour can afford the most accurate method of determining death interval.

Issues related to non-heart-beating organ donation.

Since the enactment of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, the brain dead person remains the primary source of organs legally obtained for transplantation purposes in India. With the increasing demand of organs for transplantation purposes, non-heart-beating donors can help meet this need. However, the process of retrieving organs in non-heart-beating donors is more complex and raises ethical and legal as well as medical issues. This essay discusses some of these concerns.

Fatal cyst: a case report of a previously unreported cause of death.

Branchial cysts are uncommon cause of mechanical asphyxia. Herein, we are reporting the first case of branchial cyst of larynx causing sudden death. A case is presented of a 45-year-old man who was found dead on road side. The death was due to laryngeal obstruction caused by branchial cyst arising from aryepiglottic area. This case report emphasizes the recognition of this condition for proper certification of cause of death and elucidating the manner of death.