International Journal of Legal Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Inversion time optimization in postmortem 1.5 tesla FLAIR brain imaging: a pilot study.","authors":"Christine Bruguier, V Magnin, J-F Knebel, S Grabherr, V Dunet, P Genet","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03571-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03571-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMR) has gained importance during the last decade in forensic pathology. While many clinical radiology sequences are applicable for the evaluation of the brain, the 3D FLAIR sequence shows different contrast in postmortem cases compared to living patients. Two factors-the temperature and the interval between official declaration of the death and PMMR (DC-PMMR interval) are suspected to influence the optimal inversion time (TI) needed to achieve living patient-like image contrast. This study aimed to investigate if our empirical approach had the same results as previous study.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>3D FLAIR sequences with varying TI values (from 1660 ms to 900 ms, every 110 ms) were acquired. Two radiologists independently assessed the images, selecting the TI that produced the most patient-like contrast. Rectal temperature and the DC-PMMR interval were recorded, and Pearson correlation tests were conducted to evaluate interrelations between TI, temperature, and DC-PMMR interval. Interobserver reliability was assessed using PABAK.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>Overall, 23 cases were analyzed. Rectal temperature ranged from 5.7 °C to 29.0 °C, and the DC-PMMR interval from 13.05 to 768 h. A moderate interobserver reliability (PABAK = 0.56) was observed. Significant correlations were observed between TI and both temperature (r = 0.70, p = 0.0014) and DC-PMMR interval (r = - 0.68, p < 0.0003).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our empirical approach trends the results of previous studies: Postmortem 3D FLAIR contrast is significantly affected by the temperature and the DC-PMMR interval, suggesting that TI should be adapted accordingly.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144730334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and validation of a multiplex assay system for simultaneous detection of HIV-1, HBV, and human STRs for forensic application on CE system.","authors":"Yi Liu, Zhaorui Chang, Dan Wen, Ruyi Xu, Yue Wang, Weifeng Qu, Chudong Wang, Hongtao Jia, Jienan Li, Jifeng Cai, Yadong Guo, Bowei Jiang, Lagabaiyila Zha","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03569-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03569-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human immunodeficiency virus (hereafter, \"HIV\") and hepatitis B virus (hereafter, \"HBV\") are prevalent infectious pathogens. In many countries, criminal law applies to those who intentionally transmit or expose others to these two dangerous pathogens. Viral infection is a significant characteristic in forensic investigations, and there are few reports on the simultaneous detection of DNA viruses, RNA viruses, and human short tandem repeats (hereafter, \"STRs\") in forensic laboratories. We developed a novel multiplex assay system that simultaneously identifies HIV-1, HBV, and STRs via capillary electrophoresis (hereafter, \"CE\"). This system demonstrated high species specificity, detecting HIV-1 RNA and HBV DNA at concentrations as low as 10 IU/mL. Full STR profiles were generated using 62.5 pg of template DNA. The combined power of discrimination of the 16 STR loci met the requirements of forensic applications. The comprehensive validation results confirmed that the multiplex assay system, which can provide qualitative results for three types of targets in a single tube via a one-step amplification process, is valuable for forensic applications. This system can offer additional individual characteristics (viral infections) for forensic DNA analysis, thus improving the efficiency of forensic investigations.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144730333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The tall order of stature estimation in burnt skeletal remains: a performance test in the Portuguese population.","authors":"M Beatriz Barreiro, João Fernandes, Miguel Morgado, David Gonçalves, Maria Teresa Ferreira","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03567-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03567-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluates the performance of two stature estimation methods developed for unburnt bones - Cordeiro et al. (2009) and Mendonça (2000) - here applied to bones submitted to heat exposure. The skeletal remains of twelve individuals were experimentally burnt in an electric muffle at maximum temperatures ranging from 413ºC to 900ºC. Stature estimations were calculated before and after burning using the humerus, the femur, the first metatarsal, and the second metatarsal. Results showed that the bones burnt below 700ºC experienced minimal shrinkage (1.32 ± 0.62%), therefore resulting in post-burning interval estimates consistent with pre-burning estimates. Conversely, bones burnt at 700ºC or higher displayed accentuated shrinkage (9.57 ± 0.69%), thus affecting the performance of both methods. Heat-induced changes to the humerus and the femur frequently hindered the application of the method of Mendonça (2000), suggesting Cordeiro et al. (2009) to be more viable for burnt remains contexts. Adding a 10% shrinkage correction factor to the measurements improved the accuracy of the stature estimates, fitting the pre-burning estimates within the post-burning intervals. A 12% correction factor was also tested but it tended to overestimate the post-burning intervals. Although the method of Cordeiro et al. (2009) demonstrated a good performance when applied to burnt remains, these findings emphasize the impact of heat-induced changes on stature estimation and the necessity of specific (or adjusted) approaches for calcined bones.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144690139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Necrotizing fasciitis in a plaster casted upper extremity: a forensic autopsy case report.","authors":"Ahed Alghaithi, Marie Epain, Anne-Sohphie Advenier, Laurent Fanton","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03548-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03548-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a serious life-threatening condition characterized by rapidly progressing tissue necrosis. It is associated with a high mortality rate, reaching up to 80% in some cases. Few cases of necrotizing fasciitis as a complication of casting have been reported, and most of these occurred in the orthopedic setting. The present article reports the case of a patient who developed necrotizing fasciitis following the placement of a cast and who was undiagnosed clinically. Due to the aggressive nature of the infection, the patient died shortly after the initial complaint and the case was presented to the forensic team for further evaluation by autopsy. Although cases of necrotizing fasciitis following cast application have been published in the literatures, no cases have been described within the forensic medicine setting. This is the first autopsy case report discussing this condition in a forensic medicine context, underscoring the novelty of this report. Our objective is to emphasize the importance of an early recognition of this devastating infection to avoid undesirable outcomes. Necrotizing fasciitis needs to be considered in patients with casts, particularly when presenting with pain out of proportion compared to the physical findings. The detailed autopsy findings along with the pathological and microbiological findings are also highlighted here to help forensic doctors and pathologists recognize this type of infection when encountered.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144674721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The structure of Legal Medicine in Germany - an overview.","authors":"Knut Albrecht, Andreas Schmeling","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03563-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03563-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Legal (Forensic) Medicine is considered a specialized medical discipline that uses its knowledge for the purposes of administering justice. The field covers a wide range of activities for the public, the judiciary, the clinical sector and public health. In addition to routine activities, student teaching and research are particularly important. The majority of German-speaking institutes are part of universities and usually include the specialist departments of forensic pathology, toxicology and genetics and are independent of the police and judiciary. The corresponding services will be offered in a total of 41 institutes in Germany. Further training as a specialist is set out in regulations, defined by the respective medical associations. The German Society of Legal Medicine organizes annual scientific congresses. In most cases, the professional activities are embedded in an accredited format, with standard processes being carried out in accordance with guidelines.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144667602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Significance of chondrocyte viability in postmortem interval assessments and chondrocyte viability assay.","authors":"Anita Galić Mihić, Davor Mayer, Katerina Jazbec Gradišar, Elvira Maličev, Rok Blagus, Pero Hrabač, Armin Alibegović","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03549-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03549-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Determination of the postmortem interval (PMI) is one of the most challenging problems in forensic medicine. The main aim of this study was to determine the dynamics of the decrease in the fraction of viable chondrocytes excluded from the donors' knees for PMI determination. The other aim was to find an appropriate method for chondrocyte viability assay. We analyzed osteochondral cylinders from 35 donors (28 males and 7 females), aged 44 to 90 years, whose bodies were stored in refrigerators at temperature of 8 ± 2 °C, during the period from 4 to 83 days postmortem. The proportion of viable chondrocytes was determined by flow cytometry (FC) and cell viability analyzer (CVA). For FC we used RedDot™1 to mark all chondrocytes with nuclei (method FCN) and 7-AAD, to distinguish live/dead cells (method FCC) among RedDot™1 positive cells. Results revealed that chondrocytes from the knee cartilage can be found alive after more than two months postmortem. We observed that even in controlled temperatures and environment, the predicted interval for PMI is too wide for this method to be used in daily forensic practice, likely due to the relatively small number of donors considered in our study, and other unknown factors that affect the viability of chondrocytes in dead bodies. This could be verified with a larger number of donors followed over a longer period. FCC is a slightly superior method over CVA and FCN in terms of its ability for PMI determination.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144642531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Demirjian staging method reproducibility and reliability for dental age estimation between eight forensic experts.","authors":"Rizky Merdietio Boedi, Nikolaos Angelakopoulos, Ademir Franco, Nikita Polukhin, Akiko Kumagai, Ivan Galic, Jeta Kelmendi, Israel Soriano Vázquez, Sang-Seob Lee, Roberto Scendoni, Galina Zolotenkova, Stefano De Luca","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03560-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03560-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Assigning a developmental stage is the most subjective step in dental age estimation. Therefore, clear stage definitions and proper observer calibrations are essential or high reliability and reproducibility. In this study, the reliability of the Demirjian method was assessed among 8 experts in DAE. The sample used were panoramic radiographs consisting of 50 healthy patients aged between 15 and 13.99 years old. Seven permanent teeth on the left side in both maxilla and mandible were selected to be examined. Further reference to both reliability and reproducibility will be referred as \"reliability\". The intra- and inter-rater reliability was assessed using Cohen's Kappa and Gwet's AC1/AC2 value for the overall tooth type, and specific tooth reliability. The intra-rater reliability gives an excellent reliability within observers ranging from 0.86 to 1. The inter-rater reliability was 0.962, with no difference between maxilla (0.950) and mandible region (0.954). Additionally, it was observed that canines and premolars have a lower agreement (0.934) compared to incisors and molars. Further detailed analysis for each tooth gives the lowest reliability to FDI 32 (0.868). Although the Demirjian staging method offers robust reliability for DAE with an emphasis on standardized protocols and examiner calibration, the performance of staging varies across different tooth types.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144617375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unusual findings of isopropanol and chlorhexidine in a 4-month infant: a case of postmortem contamination linked to an inappropriate disinfection procedure.","authors":"Adeline Knapp-Gisclon, Charlotte Mayer-Duverneuil, Caroline Rambaud, Jean-Claude Alvarez","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03565-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03565-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A 4-month-old infant was found in cardiorespiratory arrest in his cot at the home of his childminder. The child's cardiac blood and gastric contents, taken during a body examination, were sent to us to investigate the cause of death in the context of sudden unexpected infant death. Alcohols (ethanol, methanol, acetone and isopropanol) were determined by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID), a broad screening was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and a targeted screening of drugs and narcotics by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Chlorhexidine was determined by LC-MS/MS. The child showed no symptoms in the days preceding his death. The autopsy concluded that death was linked to an asphyxia mechanism. Only isopropanol at a concentration of 23 mg/dL was found in the cardiac blood sample taken during the body examination. However, it was absent from the gastric contents. After discussion with the doctor, prior to external examination of the body, the child's skin and tubes were decontaminated by spraying a product containing 2% chlorhexidine and 70% isopropanol on the puncture area. A specific test for chlorhexidine was then carried out, revealing a concentration of 879 ng/mL. The concomitant presence of isopropanol and chlorhexidine makes the hypothesis of contamination of the sample by the disinfectant plausible. A second tube of peripheral blood, this time taken during the autopsy, was sent to us. This blood sample tested negative for alcohols and chlorhexidine, confirming the contamination of the first sample by the disinfectant.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144608306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bone histology for forensic anthropology: a technical review on the advances in microstructural analysis of taphonomically altered buried or subaerially exposed bone.","authors":"Iris Sluis, Wilma Duijst, Tristan Krap","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03536-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03536-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microscopy can be used to assess post-mortem bone degradation at a microstructural level. The duration of exposure to the environment may correlate to microstructural changes of the bone, and therefore, provide information about the post-mortem interval (PMI) or burial interval (BI). Through histological examination of thin bone sections, post-mortem microstructural changes can be investigated. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of histological staining methods that are applicable for studying microstructural taphonomical changes within bone, as well as reviewing and discussing the outcomes obtained through the application of these staining techniques in taphonomic research. In total, 45 stains were classified as promising to stain histological features that can undergo taphonomic changes in bone, including collagen and osteocytes. Examples of these stains include Mallory Trichrome staining, Gomori's Trichrome staining, and Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin method. The availability of protocols for use of the 45 stains on undecalcified, embedded and non-embedded bone sections was investigated. Protocols were available for 8 of the 45 stains on embedded bone sections, and for 2 of the 45 stains on non-embedded bone sections. A follow-up systematic literature search was conducted to obtain a comprehensive overview of the histological staining techniques that already have been tested within taphonomic research. Based on the outcome of the systematic literature search, only 3 out of the 45 different stains were tested, namely the Sirius Red/Fast Green staining, Haematoxylin-Eosin staining and Picrosirius red staining. These studies demonstrated that Sirius Red/Fast Green and Picrosirius red staining revealed significant changes in collagen degradation over time, useful for estimating the PMI or BI, while Hematoxylin-Eosin staining effectively portrayed bone morphology and its relation to a bone integrity index. Interestingly, 42 staining techniques have not yet been tested at all, leaving a huge knowledge gap. Therefore, the next step will involve testing the remaining stains on fresh and taphonomically altered, undecalcified bones, subsequently developing and validating a method to potentially relate the extent of degradation to the post-mortem interval or burial interval.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144600352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reliability of London atlas for dental age estimation in an Australian cohort.","authors":"Amanda Chua, Christabel Halim, Ethan Pham, Selwin Samuel, Sobia Zafar, Sakher AlQahtani","doi":"10.1007/s00414-025-03559-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-025-03559-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Age estimation is a very essential tool that is required for quite a lot of purposes in legal settings and for disaster victim identification purposes. In the recent years, London Atlas for dental age estimation has gained popularity and its applicability in Australia has not been sufficiently validated. Therefore, a study was aimed to study the ability of London Atlas to accurately estimate the ages of an Australian cohort.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To test the age prediction reliability of the London Atlas on an Australian population and to determine if there is a difference in its prediction accuracy between males and females.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 193 panoramic radiographs were accessed from the University of Queensland's archival records. The London Atlas was used to estimate the dental ages of these radiographs of 96 females and 97 males, aged between 5 and 17 years.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the entire cohort, the difference between the mean estimated age (11.56 years) and mean chronological (11.92 years) age was 0.36 years. This difference was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001). The over-estimation of ages was significant in age groups 6, 7, 8,10 and 11. The mean age difference for males was - 0.038 years while the difference for females was 0.471 years. However, the difference between the two sexes (0.509 years) was statistically insignificant (p > 0.001). The London Atlas shows a tendency to over-estimate ages of females and under-estimate ages of males.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The London Atlas was found to overestimate the ages of children in an Australian population by approximately four and a half months (0.37 years). However, there was no difference in age prediction accuracy between males and females. Overall, the London Atlas has comparable accuracy with other dental age estimation methods and should be considered as a tool for age estimation.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144591132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}