Academic Forensic Pathology最新文献

{"title":"High-Voltage Electric Current Induced Near Decapitation.","authors":"Rahul Kaushik, Akhilesh Pathak, Treasa James","doi":"10.1177/19253621261502182","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19253621261502182","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>'Macro-cautery' refers to large-scale thermal coagulation, carbonization and vaporization of biological tissues produced by high-voltage electrical current, resulting in destruction of soft tissue architecture to the extent that body parts may be partially or completely 'burned away'. In this case, giving the appearance of 'Near-Capitation'. Electrical burns are some of the most severe injuries, carrying a high risk of both morbidity and mortality. They can cause extensive damage to vital organs, with the extent of injury depending on factors such as the voltage involved, the body's resistance and the duration of contact. In the present case, the deceased fell from a height of approximately 100 feet from a high-voltage electric transmission line with impact over the neck. Following this, the neck of the victim was severed with the depth of wound up to the vertebral column. It appeared similar to a chop wound injury to the investigating agencies. The aim of presenting this unique case is to discuss the role of fall from height in injuries sustained due to high-voltage electric current and to aid the practicing forensic pathologist in identifying the cause of injury sustained as electric injury may simulate mechanical injury. The authors have discussed the chain of events, pattern and distribution of injuries sustained and opined on the cause of death when a high-voltage current passes through the human body after falling from a height which may simulate mechanical trauma.</p>","PeriodicalId":36813,"journal":{"name":"Academic Forensic Pathology","volume":" ","pages":"19253621261502182"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13724160/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149325537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lethal <i>Vespa tropica</i> Sting: Clinical Presentation, Autopsy Findings, and Histopathological Observations: A Case Report.","authors":"Nirmal Nagar, Yatiraj Singi, Tarunpreet Saini, Dipen Dabhi, Renu Singh","doi":"10.1177/19253621261501403","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19253621261501403","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The sting of <i>Vespa tropica</i> is well known for causing a strong, allergic, self-limited local reaction, which usually resolves within few days. Unfortunately, in sensitized individuals, it can induce a fatal reaction. A 39-year-old Indian male sustained 4 <i>V. tropica</i> stings. He developed a local allergic reaction and breathing difficulty, but deteriorated rapidly and died within 24 h. Blood investigations revealed an increase in acute inflammatory cells, prolonged coagulation time, and deranged liver and kidney function tests. At autopsy, 4 sting puncture wounds with associated local allergic reactions were identified, and the internal organs were congested. Histopathological examination showed findings consistent with myocardial coagulative necrosis with lymphohistiocytic inflammatory infiltration, renal failure, hepatic injury, pulmonary hemorrhages with interstitial edema. <i>V. tropica</i> venom contains hyaluronidase, phospholipase, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV, antigen 5, and albumin-like proteins. These molecules are capable of inducing local inflammatory reactions, hemolysis, and multi-organ failure. This case report presents a fatality caused by 4 <i>V. tropica</i> stings, with detailed clinical, autopsy, and histopathological observations. These findings may be helpful in the clinical management of patients presenting with potentially lethal <i>V. tropica</i> stings.</p>","PeriodicalId":36813,"journal":{"name":"Academic Forensic Pathology","volume":" ","pages":"19253621261501403"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13719686/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149325538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coronal Suture Fusion Assessed by Computed Tomography: Age Estimation Insights From Western Maharashtra.","authors":"Emarson L Sison, Jomar L Aban, Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno, Alma M Corpuz","doi":"10.1177/19253621261500870","DOIUrl":"10.1177/19253621261500870","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36813,"journal":{"name":"Academic Forensic Pathology","volume":" ","pages":"19253621261500870"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13691011/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149246631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ossified Triticeal Cartilage at Autopsy: A Case Report and Review of Its Forensic Significance.","authors":"Prins Kumar Agrawal, Sathish Ayyappan, Mohammed Akbar Nj, Puneet Setia","doi":"10.1177/19253621261500853","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19253621261500853","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36813,"journal":{"name":"Academic Forensic Pathology","volume":" ","pages":"19253621261500853"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13691006/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149274460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimation of Stature From Index, Middle, and Ring Finger Lengths Among Misrake Ghion College Students, Northeast Ethiopia.","authors":"Chalachew Tiruneh","doi":"10.1177/19253621261479192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19253621261479192","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Stature is an individual's natural height in an upright standing position. This anthropometric measurement is important for determining an individual's physical identity.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To estimate stature from the index, middle, and ring fingers' length in Misrake Ghion College students.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted among Misrake Ghion College students from December 20, 2021, to March 15, 2022. The study included 316 participants (160 males and 156 females) aged 18 to 25 years from the Amhara ethnic group. Stature and finger length were measured using a stadiometer and a nonelastic measuring tape, respectively. Data were entered into EPIData version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. The strength of the relationship was examined using correlation analysis. Statistical significance was set at <i>P</i> < .05. A paired sample <i>t</i>-test was conducted, and simple and multiple linear regression analyses were used to formulate equations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Stature had a significant positive correlation with the lengths of the index, middle, and ring fingers in both males and females. Combined, stature showed a strong correlation with the left middle finger (<i>r</i> = 0.739), followed by the right ring finger (<i>r</i> = 0.692). Stepwise regression analysis showed strong correlations with the left middle finger in males (<i>r</i> = 0.636) and females (<i>r</i> = 0.648). Simple and multiple regression equations were developed for each gender.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study concluded that the length of the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger can be used to estimate the stature of an Ethiopian individual in the field of forensic science and related medical sciences.</p>","PeriodicalId":36813,"journal":{"name":"Academic Forensic Pathology","volume":" ","pages":"19253621261479192"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13650066/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149166505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Informed Consent for the Publication of Case Reports of Deceased Subjects in Medicolegal Journals: A Comparative Review of Editorial Policies and a Proposal.","authors":"Alberto Chighine, Matteo Nioi, Ernesto d'Aloja","doi":"10.1177/19253621261494427","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/19253621261494427","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Case reports and case series are central to forensic pathology, yet they almost invariably concern a deceased subject and often contain potentially identifying material. International publication ethics standards on consent (ICMJE, COPE) were designed for the living clinical patient, leaving unsettled how journals should treat consent when the subject is dead, and death has been investigated by a judicial, rather than consensual, autopsy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Narrative comparative review of the author instructions (\"Guide for Authors\") of 22 forensic and medicolegal journals across eleven publishers, consulted directly and complemented by publisher-level patient-consent policies and the ICMJE and COPE meta-standards. For each journal, whether the deceased subject is addressed, who may consent, the anonymization requirement, and handling of the consent form were recorded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No journal stated a consent rule calibrated to the forensic setting; none addressed the investigating authority, judicial secrecy, or an autopsy ordered by law. The deceased subject is handled almost everywhere through generic clinical provisions inherited from the publisher (next of kin or legal representative). Three approaches emerged: inherited generic consent (the majority), anonymization only, and scope exclusion. One wholly forensic journal omits the deceased subject entirely. Journals also differed in whether the signed consent form is merely retained, confirmed, or submitted.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Medicolegal journals do not adapt the inherited clinical consent standard to forensic practice. A tiered decision framework and a model deceased-subject clause-distinguishing judicial from consensual autopsy and integrating anonymization and scope discipline-are proposed for editors and authors.</p>","PeriodicalId":36813,"journal":{"name":"Academic Forensic Pathology","volume":" ","pages":"19253621261494427"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13650073/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149165020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Miller's Pyramid: Origin, Application, Advantages, Disadvantages, and Impact in Forensic Pathology Teaching.","authors":"Pragnesh Parmar, Gunvanti Rathod","doi":"10.1177/19253621261485132","DOIUrl":"10.1177/19253621261485132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Competency-based medical education (CBME) emphasizes demonstrable competencies rather than time-based training. Miller's Pyramid remains an influential framework for conceptualizing clinical competence, but its contemporary application in forensic pathology education has not been comprehensively examined. This review evaluates its educational basis, applications, advantages, limitations, and relevance to forensic pathology teaching.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A narrative review was conducted of literature on Miller's Pyramid, CBME, workplace-based assessment (WPBA), entrustable professional activities (EPAs), milestones, programmatic assessment, and forensic pathology education. Educational and competency-based training approaches from India, the United States, Canada, and other settings were examined.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Miller's Pyramid comprises four levels: Knows, Knows How, Shows How, and Does, representing progressive development from knowledge to independent practice. In forensic pathology, these levels can guide competency development in medico-legal autopsy, injury interpretation, evidence preservation, documentation, communication, and expert testimony. The framework facilitates alignment of learning objectives, teaching strategies, and assessment methods. However, its hierarchical structure may inadequately reflect the dynamic and context-dependent nature of competence and gives limited attention to professional identity, reflective practice, teamwork, and system-related influences. Integration with WPBA, EPAs, milestones, simulation, and programmatic assessment can address these limitations.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Miller's Pyramid remains a valuable framework for competency-based forensic pathology education. Its integration with contemporary assessment approaches can strengthen validity and support context-sensitive, longitudinal, and multimodal evaluation, ultimately promoting competent, accountable, and practice-ready forensic pathologists.</p>","PeriodicalId":36813,"journal":{"name":"Academic Forensic Pathology","volume":" ","pages":"19253621261485132"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547550/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148907136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Series of Asphyxiation Cases in Confined Spaces: Forensic Investigation into the Involvement of Plastic Bags and gas Inhalation.","authors":"Stefano Tambuzzi, Guendalina Gentile, Sara Puletti, Michele Boracchi, Ranjit Immanuel James, Riccardo Zoja","doi":"10.1177/19253621261484397","DOIUrl":"10.1177/19253621261484397","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>In forensic science, confinement of the head within a plastic bag suffocation (PBS) combined with inhalation of volatile substances represents an uncommon but highly challenging scenario, particularly in determining the cause and manner of death.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A retrospective analysis was conducted, including all 28,802 autopsies performed in Milan from 1993 to 2024. Twenty-eight cases of death due to PBS associated with inhalation of different gases (nitrogen, propane-butane mixtures, helium, propane, and butane) were identified. For each case, circumstantial data, autopsy findings, and toxicological and histological analyses were systematically reviewed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over a period of more than 30 years, this phenomenon predominantly involved young individuals from different social backgrounds and occurred in both suicidal and accidental contexts. In several cases, individuals appeared to use this method not only for suicide but also for recreational purposes, under the mistaken belief that gas inhalation could be controlled; however, rapid loss of consciousness often prevented any corrective action. Overall, 17 cases were classified as complex suicides, 5 as accidental deaths, and in 6 cases the manner of death remained undetermined. No cases were attributable to autoerotic practices or assisted suicide.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>PBS combined with gas inhalation represents a multifactorial and highly lethal mechanism of death, often characterized by nonspecific autopsy findings and significant diagnostic challenges.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings emphasize the critical importance of thorough scene investigation and contextual analysis, as removal of the plastic bag and the limited specificity of forensic findings may hinder accurate determination of the manner of death.</p>","PeriodicalId":36813,"journal":{"name":"Academic Forensic Pathology","volume":" ","pages":"19253621261484397"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13538291/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148888604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond Documentation: Medical Education and the Challenge of Accurate Death Certification.","authors":"Darin Jan C Tindowen, Ma Leodevina C Batugal, Rhean Joy B Acupido, Madeilyn B Estacio","doi":"10.1177/19253621261484648","DOIUrl":"10.1177/19253621261484648","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36813,"journal":{"name":"Academic Forensic Pathology","volume":" ","pages":"19253621261484648"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13562437/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148956629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alveolar Macrophage Counts in Mechanical Asphyxia: A Retrospective Histopathological Study of Autopsy Lungs.","authors":"Jessika Camatti, Anna Laura Santunione, Enrico Silingardi, Antonino Lavenia, Franco Marinelli, Vittorio Gatto, Rossana Cecchi","doi":"10.1177/19253621261484644","DOIUrl":"10.1177/19253621261484644","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Alveolar macrophages are key regulators of alveolar homeostasis and are highly sensitive to changes in oxygen availability. Experimental studies have demonstrated that hypoxic stress influences macrophage activation and accumulation within the lung. However, data on alveolar macrophage distribution in human autopsy material remain limited and heterogeneous.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A retrospective histopathological study was conducted on autopsy lung tissue retrieved from the archives of the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University of Modena, Italy. Cases of asphyxial death due to neck compression (hanging, ligature strangulation, and manual strangulation) were compared with nonasphyxial control deaths due to isolated traumatic brain injury. Routine hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were analyzed. Alveolar macrophages were counted in five nonoverlapping high-power fields per case, and the mean macrophage count per field was used for statistical analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 145 cases were included, comprising 51 asphyxial deaths and 94 control cases. Asphyxial deaths showed significantly higher alveolar macrophage counts compared with controls (median 5.4 vs 2.0 macrophages per high-power field; <i>p</i> < .001). Exploratory receiver operating characteristic analysis yielded an area under the curve of approximately 0.87, suggesting a moderate to good discriminatory performance.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Asphyxial deaths due to neck compression are associated with increased alveolar macrophage counts in routine autopsy lung tissue. These findings support a role for alveolar macrophages in the pulmonary response to acute hypoxic stress.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Alveolar macrophage quantification may represent a supportive histopathological feature of asphyxia, although it should be interpreted within a broader multiparametric framework.</p>","PeriodicalId":36813,"journal":{"name":"Academic Forensic Pathology","volume":" ","pages":"19253621261484644"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13534351/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148881934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}