Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Haarhoff.
In cases of death which occur in a foreign country, the official post mortem diagnosis does often not correspond with our findings at obduction. Therefore an obduction should be performed in dubious cases at arrival in the native country. Even in a state of embalming and/or putrefaction the findings at obduction are still reliable.
The pathological findings, including immunohistochemical and electron microscopical findings, in three infants who died unexpectedly of cardiac tumor or cardiomyopathy are reported. The first was a 13-month-old boy with tuberous sclerosis and multiple rhabdomyomas of the heart, who presented with a postpartal cardiac murmur and moderate cardiomegaly. The further history was unknown. The rhabdomyoma nodules were composed of spider cells containing small amounts of desmin and myosin as well as isolated myofibrils. Microscopically small glioma nodules contained high amounts of GFAP. The second case, a boy 4 months of age, died of a large benign fibrous histiocytoma of the heart after an uneventful history. Tumor cells contained alpha-1-anti-chymotrypsin and lysozyme. The third case, a girl 2 months of age, died unexpectedly of histiocytoid cardiomyopathy. The affected cells contained fat droplets, glycogen granules, many leptomer myofibrils and small amounts of myosin and desmin.
Thirty-nine autopsy cases of sudden natural death at the wheel were analysed with special respect to the questions if this is a peculiar problem of the elderly and if there are particular pathological features in the elderly. The ages ranged from 33 through 83 years and the median age was 56.4 years. 97% of the deaths were attributable to cardiovascular diseases, about 90% to coronary heart disease. People older than 60 years of age tended to exhibit severe chronical arterio-sclerotic changes of the coronary arteries, especially multiple calcified stenoses and myocardial scars, but there was a low percentage of recent thrombotic occlusion of a coronary artery.
We report the case of a 25-year-old depressed woman who committed suicide with a starter's pistol loaded with CS tear-gas ammunition. The propellant gases of the contact shot entered her chest through the left sixth intercostal space. Exsanguination was caused by perforations of the pericardium and apex of the heart. Autopsy did not reveal any metallic or other foreign bodies that might have originated from the propellant, the cartridge, or any bulletlike material. Her injuries were thus caused by the propellant alone. 0.5 mg L-1 of the CS degradation product cyanide was detected in the cardiac blood. We also report the case of a 54-year-old man, suffering from depressive psychosis, who committed suicide with an air rifle. The lead-pointed Diabolo bullet entered his brain through the right large wing of the sphenoid bone, traversed the right temporal brain pole, damaged the right middle cerebral artery and the right optic tract, and finally lodged in the left central ganglia. There was extensive basal subdural hemorrhage and tamponade of all cerebral ventricles. Death was attributed to cerebral failure. We furthermore list another 26 cases of suicide by rarely used weapons from 1947 to 1989.
We report two cases of suicide by multiple gunshots to the head. The first victim (of two shots) fired the first shot, which was observed, into his mouth, leading to damage to the left optic nerve and frontal lobe. The man still was able to drive his car home, where he shot himself in his right temple. He died 2 days later. The second victim (of three shots) was a 58-year-old man who was found dead on his bed. Reconstruction of the case disclosed that the first shot had passed through his tongue and slightly damaged the second cervical vertebral body. He then shot himself in his right temple, leading to damage of the temporal lobe. Finally, he shot himself in his left temple, resulting in destruction of the pons. In the first case, an amateurishly modified 8-mm blank revolver firing 6.35-mm- (.25)-caliber ammunition was used; in the second case, a rifle firing 5.6-mm (.22)-caliber ammunition with a reduced charge was used. In both cases, low-energy transfer to brain tissue by the initial bullets was due to low bullet energy or due to the bullets' missing the brain or vital centers.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Capsules with etryptamine have been commonly available on the market since the middle of 1985. Up to 1962 this CNS-stimulating, monoamine-oxidase-inhibiting drug was sold as an antidepressant (Monase). A case of fatal intoxication is reported. The exact amount of etryptamine taken several hours before death are not known, but it could have been in the range of 700 mg. This drug was detected in tissue by means of common analytical techniques (GLC, GC-MS, HPLC, TLC). Etryptamine cross-reacts with the Emit-st amphetamine assay and can also be detected in urine using these techniques. The level in postmortem blood was 1.1 mg/l. The effects the young man showed were like those known from intoxication with amphetamines, MAO inhibitors, and thymoleptics. Malignant hyperthermia is discussed as a possible cause of death. It is suggested that trade in etryptamine should be controlled.
Histopathological findings are demonstrated, which arose in 17 myocardial injuries. The injuries concerned were nine stab wounds, six gunshot wounds, one contusion, and one rupture. Initial coagulation necrosis, contraction banding, and sarcoplasmatic vacuoles could be observed, not only intravitally but also supravitally . These changes could be seen much earlier than in cases exclusively restricted to ischemic damage. When a leucocytic reaction occurs at the same time, a longer survival time is indicated.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Putrefaction, autolysis and maceration of water corpses follow a regular sequence depending on the water temperature and the interval in the water, the socalled water period. We have determined the beginning of characteristic exterior and interior changes in 395 water corpses of adult persons with known immersion intervals and water temperatures at the place of discovery at the time of recovery. The corpses had been kept in a cooling-rrom at 4 degrees C for 2 to 3 days until they were studied. Altogether 10 parameters have been considered and plotted (Fig. 1-3): intensive dyscoloration of the skin, gasformation, loosening of hair, loss of hair, putridity transsudate of more than 500 ml into the pleural cavitiesn, bloodlessness of heart, softening and liquefaction of the brain, loosening of fingernails, loss of washer-woman's skin from the hands and loss of fingernails. Several parameters are synchronous (Fig. 1,2). The studied intervals of exposure to water were from 2 to 47 days at water temperatures between 22 and 3 degrees C. - By means of the three diagrams it can be found out how many days at the minimum a corpse had been submerged, if the water temperature at the place of discovery is known and storage in a cooling-room has taken place for 2 to 3 days. Also statements are possible about the maximal period of time. - Corpses found in the Rhine will develop washer-woman's skin on hands and feet after no less than 5 hours, even at summer temperatures, and adipocere after no less than 2.5 to 3 months. There is no difference between running and stagnant water in the chronological developments of the parameters investigated. Also the degree of water pollution does not affect the estimation of the time of death.
14 fresh cadavers of adult persons were placed with the head or body tilted in atypical positions 3 to 65 hours after death. The persons concerned were neither asphyxiated nor had they suffered cranial trauma. Hypostasis in the head and neck occurred more rapidly and intensively the deeper the cranial parts of the body were placed. In the simulated cadaver positions, artificial ecchymoses were observed in only a few places, mainly in the eyelids, the conjunctiva, the galea and the temporal muscles except when the head was vertically downwards. Just as with the postmortem haematomas, the hypostatic settling to the plane of the heart was decisive.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A 47-year-old man was found dead at the bottom of a wall outward the door of the cellar of his house. Preliminary physical examination at the scene of the death revealed a laceration of the scalp, an incised wound in front of the neck and several stab wounds in the left chest penetrating through the clothing. Questioned by the police his wife told that her husband who suffered from severe depression had inflicted the incised and the stab wounds himself, had made an unsuccessful attempt at self-strangulation and had finally jumped down from the wall beside the stairs declining to the cellar of their house. As the circumstances of the scenario were suspicious and as the pattern of injuries arose doubts concerning self-infliction homicide was taken into consideration as well. Autopsy showed additional hesitation marks adjacent to the left end of the incised wound in front of the neck. The stab wounds of the chest were restricted to the region of the heart and displayed only minimal penetration of the chest-wall, findings characteristic of self-infliction. As a consequence the manner of death could be determined as prolonged suicide, and exact reconstruction was possible with the help of the wife's testimony.
The paper reports on a case of offensive corpse dismemberment by an unusual tool. A man with an acute exacerbation of a psychosis decapitated a 96-year-old woman by an ice-axe.