Paraphilic infantilism, diaperism and pedophilia: A review.

Paraphilic disorders range from nearly normal behaviour to a behaviour which may be considered as destructive or menacing to the society at large. In accordance with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V, the terms Paraphilia and Paraphilic disorders, denote different interpretations. Multiple paraphilias connected to childhood either directly or indirectly has been documented in scientific literature. Paraphilic Infantilism, Diaperism and Pedophilia constitute major portion among them. Paraphilic infantilism denotes paraphilic desire of being a baby. Diaperism deals with fetishistic behaviour in relation to diapers and pedophilia stands for sexual attraction towards children. Behaviourally these three paraphilias do share some characteristics and show overlapping of certain features, but psychologically they are diverse. In a number of literature on digital media, the terms have been used interchangeably or are described in a manner that creates confusion. However, when described individually they are precisely written, hence it necessitates to be elaborated collectively to surpass the current trends of mixing them. The review focuses on behavioral, developmental, psychological and legal aspects of these paraphilias.

Autopsy diagnosis of a death due to scorpion stinging--a case report.

Post-mortem diagnosis of envenomation by a scorpion with or without a reliable history is a herculean task for any forensic pathologist. The challenge is compounded when stinging occurs at night, with the history remaining unreliable. The autopsy diagnosis is further complicated when the inflicted wound is small, and the mark is obliterated by healing within few days. As the venom of a scorpion is a mixture of enzymes, most of the forensic science laboratories in India fail to diagnose the poisoning. We present a case in which there was no external evidence of stinging, but the internal post-mortem findings along with histology of the organ systems pointed towards the diagnosis and were corroborated by the history. We reemphasise the importance of pathological sampling of organ systems, whenever there is death due to a suspicious, unknown insect bite.

Cardiac tamponade secondary to fulminant myocarditis - A case of custodial death.

Cardiac tamponade following rupture of the heart occurs very rapidly, resulting in a fatal fall in the cardiac output and circulatory collapse. Spontaneous cardiac rupture is an uncommon occurrence and that too occurring secondary to myocarditis is a very rare event. Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium and its clinical presentation is highly variable. Due to its highly variable clinical presentation, the diagnosis is frequently made at autopsy. In this article, we report death of a prisoner due to cardiac tamponade following right ventricular rupture secondary to fulminant myocarditis.

Recent changes in Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Penal Code relevant to medical profession.

Some sections in Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Penal Code have a direct binding on medical practitioner. With changing times, few of them have been revised and these changes are presented in this article.

Homicide by organophosphorus compound poisoning: a case report.

Pesticides are responsible for less than 1% of deaths from poisoning in the UK while various studies in India indicate that the figures range from 20% to a staggering 70% (Sharma, 1998). Organophosphorus compounds are reported to be the most commonly used substances for suicidal purposes (Dixit, 2007). Homicidal poisoning involving pesticides has always been rare owing to the disagreeable odour and taste rendered to them by their hydrocarbon solvents (Pillay, 2008). An unusual case of homicide using an organophosphorus compound is presented here. The body of a 28-year-old woman was brought for post-mortem examination at the mortuary of the Government Medical College and New Civil Hospital, Surat, Gujarat, India. It had been exhumed after forty-five days of burial under the supervision of a medical officer from the nearby primary health centre, the police and a magistrate. There was a history of marital discord between the deceased and her husband. Their ten-year-old daughter, who was the only witness to the incident, revealed later that her mother was struck by a wooden block and forcibly made to ingest some medicine. The 'medicine' was identified on chemical analysis as an organophosphorus compound (dichlorvos).

Fatal venous air embolism following intravenous infusion.

Venous air embolism has been reported as a complication of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures or accidental trauma. Little is known about the incidence of air embolism after minimal intravenous manipulations such as the insertion of a peripheral intravenous cannula. Only when large amounts of air sufficient enough to block the cardiovascular system enter, the patient develops symptoms and signs of severe neurological injury, cardiovascular collapse, or death. The dead body of a 14-year-old boy was brought for postmortem examination with allegations of death from negligence during treatment. He was treated for pain in the abdomen in a hospital by attendants in telephonic consultation with a medical practitioner. Following intravenous infusions, the boy died suddenly in respiratory distress. Gross findings indicated the death to be from venous air embolism. Chemical analysis, histopathology, and microbiology ruled out other causes of death. Dilemmas of the case with difficulties in diagnosis are being presented herewith.