The Role of Fingernails in Death Investigation.

ABSTRACT: In forensic pathology, forensic onychology studies fingernails and toenails for medicolegal purposes. It mainly deals with DNA profiling from nails, toxicological analysis for detecting poisons, and the collection of trace evidence present under the nails. Injuries to fingernails and their interpretation for medicolegal purposes are the neglected areas of this study. We have discussed the most common types of fingernail injuries and their significance. We found that their notification has significant value in drowning cases, defense wounds on the palm, self-inflicted cuts, burns, electrocution, blunt trauma, physical assault, sexual offenses, and other issues like torture. We emphasize the examination of fingernails in the autopsy and medicolegal clinical examination for better administration of law and justice.

A unique case of direct lightning strike.

This is a report of death due to direct lightning strike that was witnessed, with description of the injuries. The associated clothing and jewelry were examined microscopically for lightning-related findings. For the first time, we report a lightning strike on a victim that led to crater formations in the brass clasp of the basil wood bead necklace, brass teeth, and brass button of the zipper. Blackening, fissuring, and charring of basil wood beads were noted. There was blackening and fusion of cowrie shell teeth, which were in the black thread necklace. The silver necklace chain vaporized and caused deep burns on the nape of neck. A few links of the silver chain necklace were found embedded in the clothing. All this damage provides important insight into the behavior of lightning.

Potential usefulness of otoscopy in the evaluation of hanging deaths: A report of two cases.

The significance of examination of the tympanic membrane (TM) has been previously reported in cases of strangulation, traumatic asphyxia, and drowning. We report otoscopic findings in two victims of suicidal hanging, including hemotympanum, bleeding from superficial vessels of the TM, perforation of the TM, and gross bulging of the pars-tensa with a bluish hue. These two cases also show petechial hemorrhages in the TM, which is a previously reported finding in cases of hanging. Postmortem otoscopic examination of victims of hanging may provide information useful in the determination of vitality of hanging.

Attempted homicide by instilling elemental mercury in the respiratory tract: A two-year follow-up.

We describe a case of attempted homicide by instilling elemental mercury through an endotracheal tube into the respiratory tract. Radiographs revealed the presence of metallic mercury in both lungs. During a 2-year follow-up, mercury droplets disappeared from the lungs and only mild clinical symptoms were identified, without evidence of wider toxicity or organ damage.

Damage due to lightning when it strikes the face.

A case of death due to lightning is discussed in reference to autopsy findings that revealed damage to the tongue, pharynx, larynx, sclera and oesophagus for the first time. The damage described in the present paper must be considered when there is direct lightning strike on the face.

An injury subjacent to lac ornament in a case of lightning.

This is a report of a case in which, for the first time, direct lightning strike had caused burn injuries associated with internal soft-tissue bruising and visceral injury subjacent to lac jewellery on the chest. The burn injury depicted a symmetrical pattern, which was almost 5 times larger than the size of the jewellery. Surprisingly, there was bruising of soft tissue beneath the burn, associated with extravasation of blood in anterior mediastinum, contusion of anterior border of lungs, contusion to heart and rent by burn to the blouse of the victim over the front and back, all in one line, showing very unusual injury of lightning strike.

The bruise which depicted the pattern of subjacent bone.

Reported here is a very rare case in which the bruises were caused to the lower anterior region of the right thigh by the impact of the rim of a scooter's seat made up of a slightly flexible plastic sheet covered with artificial leather. The bruises depicted the pattern of the subjacent lower end of the femur and the upper pole of the patella. The bruises also displayed the following color changes: yellow color at the center and purple at the edge, with the fading beginning at the center and proceeding towards its periphery, which was found to be contradictory to the present literature about bruises.

"Manja" - a dangerous thread.

Every year many innocent lives are claimed and many more suffer severe life threatening injuries in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh due to accidental injuries glass-coated kite-lines (manja) that are sharp, cutting effect. The present article discusses the mechanism, pathology, and medico-legal aspects and how to prevent manja-related injuries.

Patterned injuries caused by wooden plank.

Wooden planks of different dimensions are commonly used in construction of buildings, fence of houses, bullock-carts and walls of huts. There is plenty of opportunity for wooden plants to be used as assault implements. Three cases of homicide are reported. In each case a wooden plank was the weapon of offence. The causes of death were respectively anal impalement injury, liver rupture and head injury. Case 1: A 30-year-old man who was beaten by a wooden plank and had it inserted per anum was found alive by a police officer after approximately 48 h. He sustained multiple patterned contused abrasions and death was attributed to purulent peritonitis due to perforation of small intestine by the wooden plank. Case 2: A 50-year-old man working as a security guard at a building construction site was killed by his 21-year-old son by beating him with a wooden plank found around the construction site. The deceased sustained multiple contusions, abrasions, typical patterned contused abrasions and lacerations externally. Death was attributed to shock due to ruptured liver. Case 3: A 13-year-old female was killed by her 19-year-old male paternal cousin with one stroke of a wooden plank over head. At autopsy she was having a lacerated wound to forehead below which there was a patterned fracture of skull. Death was attributed to sub-arachnoid hemorrhage following head injury. We have recorded peculiar patterned abrasions, patterned fracture with wooden fragment and part of impaled wooden plank in abdominal cavity. These types of injuries are rare. The cases emphasise the need for accurate description of these injuries with photographs in order to achieve effective evaluation and recognition of this type of patterned wounds as they correspond to specific weapons.

A throttled hemophilic who died due to choking.

It is the first reported case, in which death occurred due to asphyxia by choking in a victim of throttling. When an alcoholic hemophilic patient was throttled, he became unconscious. On regaining consciousness he died after approximately 16 h due to sub-mucosal collection of extravasated blood which blocked his upper respiratory tract. This paper stresses this unique danger of trauma to neck in hemophilic patients.

Burns caused by fan heater used for managing post-operative hypothermia in a premature neonate.

Generally fan forced area heaters are considered to be incapable of causing burn injury. A case is presented where such a heater was used to prevent post-operative hypothermia after cut-back anoplasty to correct low anorectal malformation (imperforate anus) in a premature neonate. The neonate sustained dermo-epidermal (second degree) burns to the abdominal wall and right forearm which were swaddled with cloth and deep (third degree) burns to the fingers of left hand that were exposed as intravenous line was inserted at dorsum of the hand.

An electrocution by metal kite line.

A case is reported in which death is caused due to electrocution by a copper wire that was used as string of the kite. Electric current flowed through the copper wire of cut down kite when it touched power line transmitting alternate current of 240 V at 50 Hz. The free end of copper wire had abraded against the victim's shoulder, neck and face, and finally entangled around the ear. A unique type of electrical injury is noticed due to contact with live copper wire. This paper stresses the unique danger of the kite flying.

2. An unusual Russell's viper bite mark: a case report.

A case of Russell's viper bite is presented with four fang marks in a single bite. The distance between each fang mark is greater than that noted between fang marks to date. This particular presentation of a snake bite mark is observed for the first time.

Head injury with traumatic and postural asphyxia: a case report.

An autopsy was performed on a 22-year-old tractor driver who was found on a cliff, 20 feet down from the highway, trapped between the wheel of a tractor trolley and some stones in an inverted position, after sustaining a head injury. Post mortem lividity was present above the knee joints except where the left arm was firmly adducted on the chest and where the cloth folds were compressing on the chest and abdomen all round. Sub-mucosal ecchymoses and petechial hemorrhages were present in the pharyngeal walls, and on both surfaces of the epiglottis and larynx above the vestibular folds. Such hemorrhages were first noticed along with other findings of traumatic and postural asphyxia.