Postmortem computed tomography of barium peritonitis due to descending colon perforation.

We describe herein the findings from postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) of barium peritonitis due to descending colon perforation. The patient was a woman in her 60s who underwent upper gastrointestinal series with barium swallow for the purpose of physical examination. The patient developed abdominal pain the next day and visited a clinic, but was sent home for later follow-up.

Technical note: Excel spreadsheet calculation of the Henssge equation as an aid to estimating postmortem interval.

In forensic cases for which the time of death is unknown, several methods are used to estimate the postmortem interval. The quotient (Q) defined as the difference between the rectal and ambient temperature (Tr - Ta) divided by the initial difference (T0 - Ta) represents the progress of postmortem cooling: Q = (Tr - Ta)/(T0 - Ta), (1 ≥ Q ≥ 0). Henssge was able to show that with the body weight and its empirical corrective factor, Q can be reasonably predicted as a double exponential decay function of time (Qp(t)).

Methodological considerations of the acetaminophen Detection Kit®: Involvement of molecular oxygen (O) in an indophenol reaction.

The Acetaminophen Detection Kit® (Kanto Chemical Company Co. Inc., Tokyo, Japan) is a colorimetric test based on an indophenol reaction.

A clear presentation of intracranial hypostasis on PMCT.

Intracranial hypostasis is a common postmortem change evident on postmortem CT (PMCT), but can be readily misinterpreted as subdural hematoma by inexperienced physicians. Although PMCT is necessarily lacking contrast enhancement, we reconstructed hypostatic sinuses into three-dimensional images resembling the results of in vivo venography. This simple methodology facilitates easy recognition of intracranial hypostasis.

A Suggested Mechanism for Green Discoloration of the Postmortem Brain.

In the putrefied brain, the cortex and basal ganglia show dark-grayish to green discoloration due to sulfhemoglobin formed from hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) produced by endogenous bacteria and hemoglobin. In this study, we propose and demonstrate another mechanism of green discoloration in the brain. The formalin-fixed brain of a cadaver donated for medical education with no putrefaction was used.

Immunohistochemical study of chicken fat clots: Investigation of the formation mechanism.

In forensic practice, the presence of chicken fat clots (CFCs) in the heart and/or large blood vessels of cadavers has been empirically used to estimate the time from the onset of fatal events to death. However, little scientific evidence of its significance exists, and the mechanism of its formation has not been elucidated. CFCs contain large amounts of leukocytes; thus, we hypothesized that leukocytes might contribute to their formation.

Hemorrhagic shock due to ruptured idiopathic intramural hematoma of the sigmoid colon-An autopsy case report.

We describe herein an autopsy case involving fatal hemorrhagic shock due to idiopathic sigmoid colonic intramural hematoma rupturing into the abdominal cavity. Antemortem computed tomography revealed a mass lesion in the sigmoid colon and a large amount of hemoperitoneum. On forensic autopsy, intramural hematoma of the sigmoid colon with ruptured serosa was identified, while the mucosa remained intact.

Conventional diatom testing using strong acid: (II) Number and types of diatoms detected in closed organs and lungs of 80 autopsy cases using only new Kjeldahl flasks.

The number of diatoms detected in the kidneys and liver varies considerably when comparing various reports, but the reason remains unclear. We previously showed that the reuse of Kjeldahl flasks is susceptible to generating false positives; false-positive results were observed in 17 of 60 tested flasks, and a maximum of 290 diatoms were detected. Furthermore, these data suggested that the number of diatoms in kidney and liver tissue may be much lower than previously thought.

An autopsy case report of tramline bruises with various shapes -histological and mechanistic considerations.

An autopsy case involving a child showing various shapes of tramline bruises caused by a single weapon is described. On autopsy, multiple tramline bruises in different orientations were found, mainly on the back. Shapes of the tramline bruises were variable, including linear, arcuate, nodular, hook-like, and hook-like with a knot at the end.

A Case of Fatal Exsanguination by a Japanese Short Sword.

We report a rare case of fatal exsanguination by a wakizashi , a Japanese short sword ( shinken ). A man in his 60s was found lying on his back on his bed. He was in cardiopulmonary arrest when the ambulance crew arrived and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Conventional diatom testing using strong acid: Notable false-positive results caused by an underestimated contamination source (blind spot).

Low rates of diatom positivity in the closed organs of drowning victims present challenges for diatom testing. High positivity rates in closed organs of non-drowning victims also raise an important issue. These contradictory findings were common in diatom testing studies undertaken during the 1960-80 s, but the reasons remained unclear.

"Black ring-shaped burn" in button battery ingestion is not a burn - Comparison with charring using spectral CT.

Objectives: To compare "black ring-shaped burn" (BRSB) and charring using spectral computed tomography (CT).

Methods: Spectral CT was performed using chicken pectoralis minor muscle, processed in three ways and unprocessed as a control: a) BRSB generated by bringing the negative pole surface of a 3 V button battery (BB) into contact with the muscle; b) BRSB caused by a 1.5 V BB; c) charring caused by broiling; and d) control.

Adult Dismembered Body With Myositis Ossificans: Evidence for Physical Abuse in an Autopsy Case Report.

A case involving an adult dismembered body with myositis ossificans (MO) is described. A woman in her 20s was found dead in her cohabitants' room. The body had dismembered into 15 pieces.

Acceleration effect of the forensic luminol reaction induced by visible light irradiation of whole human blood aqueous solutions.

The first quantitative study on the effect of visible light irradiation on the luminol reaction, used forensically, was conducted using whole human blood aqueous solutions (hemolytic state) and an LED lamp. Whole human blood aqueous solutions under an air atmosphere were irradiated with visible light, resulting in the maximum chemiluminescence (CL) intensity (@ 440 nm) increasing about 1.7-fold due to acceleration of the luminol reaction rate.

A new enzymatic method for extracting diatoms from organs of suspected drowning cases using papain: Optimal digestion and first practical application.

Diatom analysis is very effective for positive diagnosis of water inhalation in drowning. However, conventional strong acid diatom testing is laborious and potentially dangerous. We propose a simple, fast, and safe protocol using inexpensive reagents such as papain, SDS, and 5 N HCl for extracting diatoms from lung, kidney, and liver tissues.

Neonatal Death Caused by Interrupted Aortic Arch Associated With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: An Autopsy Case Report.

A case of clinically unsuspected fatal interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is described. A 17-day-old Japanese girl unexpectedly entered respiratory arrest at home. On autopsy, the heart was hypertrophic, with no apparent connection between the ascending and descending aortas.

Simple detection of bacterioplankton using a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay: First practical approach to 72 cases of suspected drowning.

We developed a novel molecular tool for assisting the diagnosis of death by drowning and evaluated its validity in forensic practical cases. Two novel sets of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) primers were designed to detect either representative freshwater (Aeromonas) or marine (Vibrio, Photobacterium, Listonella) bacterioplankton (aquatic bacteria) in one tube using the LAMP technique. The assay involves only mixing template DNA with seven reagents and incubating at 64°C for 80min and does not require special or expensive equipment because detection is based on visual observation under natural light.

Usefulness of 2D fusion of postmortem CT and antemortem chest radiography studies for human identification.

Purpose: To determine the feasibility of human identification through the two-dimensional (2D) fusion of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and antemortem chest radiography.

Materials And Methods: The study population consisted of 15 subjects who had undergone chest radiography studies more than 12 months before death. Fused images in which a chest radiograph was fused with a PMCT image were obtained for those subjects using a workstation, and the minimum distance gaps between corresponding anatomical landmarks (located at soft tissue and bone sites) in the images obtained with the two modalities were calculated.

Simple protocol for extracting diatoms from lung tissues of suspected drowning cases within 3h: First practical application.

Conventional acid digestion of tissues for analyzing diatoms obtained from suspected drowning cases is time-consuming, laborious and potentially dangerous. We propose a new protocol for solubilizing lung tissue using only Qiagen Proteinase K, Qiagen Buffer ATL, and 5N hydrochloric acid that can accelerate and simplify diatom extraction from suspected drowning cases. The lower lobe of the right lung (1g, inner region) and the upper lobe of the left lung (1g, peripheral region) of ten immersed victims were digested in 15-mL conical centrifuge tubes containing 9mL of Buffer ATL and 1mL of 20mg/mL Proteinase K solution at 56°C for 15-60min.

A new molecular approach to help conclude drowning as a cause of death: simultaneous detection of eight bacterioplankton species using real-time PCR assays with TaqMan probes.

We developed a novel tool for concluding drowning as a cause of death. We designed nine primer pairs to detect representative freshwater or marine bacterioplankton (aquatic bacteria) and then used real-time PCR with TaqMan probes to rapidly and specifically detect them. We previously cultured the genus Aeromonas, which is a representative freshwater bacterial species, in blood samples from 94% of victims who drowned in freshwater and the genera Vibrio and/or Photobacterium that are representative marine bacteria in 88% of victims who drowned in seawater.

Detection of diverse aquatic microbes in blood and organs of drowning victims: first metagenomic approach using high-throughput 454-pyrosequencing.

Current 454-pyrosequencing technology enables massive parallel sequencing. We used this technology to investigate the diversity of aquatic microbes in 14 specimens (blood and organs) of two drowning victims and in two water samples taken from the discovery sites. The 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes of microbes, which are often used to identify species (or genera), have nine highly variable regions (V1-V9), each of which is surrounded by conserved regions.

Numbers, sizes, and types of diatoms around estuaries for a diatom test.

We collected 68 fresh, brackish, and seawater samples from various sites around the estuaries of 2 rivers at high and low tides. Seawater flowed approximately 2.4 (salinity, 2.

Detection of marine and freshwater bacterioplankton in immersed victims: Post-mortem bacterial invasion does not readily occur.

We previously applied our method of detecting marine or freshwater bacterioplankton (bacteria) in the blood of immersed victims as a marker of drowning. However, we did not confirm the absence of post-mortem bacterial invasion during immersion. Here we examined the nature of bacterioplankton in blood samples from 21 immersed and 4 non-immersed cadavers.