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Results for “Postmortem Changes”

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PubMed2002

Demonstration of a chloroquine fatality after 10-month earth-grave.

A 19-year-old woman suspect of a suicidal drug intoxication was exhumed after a 10-month earth-grave, because the police was accused of manslaughter and neglected help by the relatives of the deceased. Toxicologic analysis revealed as the cause of death an acute chloroquine intoxication. An expert opinion had to deal with the question if the woman would have been saved if the police had appeared earlier. Therefore the duration of agonal period after suicidal chloroquine ingestion was important. An estimation of the time since death was possible on the one hand ex-post from the development of cadaveric changes and supravital reactions and on the other hand, based on premortal changes detectable on the body together with the findings of the authorities. Taking into account all evidence the woman was probably already dead at or prior to the arrival of the police (110 min after ingestion), at least this could not be excluded. Chloroquine has to be considered to be useful for fatal poisoning, which is also recommended in some publications on methods to commit suicide.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Thanatogenesis in poisoning with psychopharmaceuticals].

Discussed in the paper are thanatologically significant morphological signs in intoxication with some of psychic drugs. It was demonstrated that, in intoxication with azaleptin, phenazepam and aminazin, death comes mostly from affection of the brain including its edema and irreversible severe changes of neurons. In intoxication with tizercin, benzodiazepines and barbiturates, cardiac thanatogenesis as fibrillation of heart chambers combined with foci of myocytolysis. Sodium oxybutyrate brings about vascular collapse with subsequent development of fibrillation of heart chambers and of pulmonary edema. Intoxication with amitriptyline causes naturally necrotic nephrosis entailing uremic pneumonia and edema of the brain and heart.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Neuropathologic features of amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: The neuropathologic substrate of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is not known. OBJECTIVE: To determine the neuropathologic features of patients who died while their clinical classification was aMCI. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Community based. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-six individuals, including 15 who had memory impairment beyond that allowed for aging but who were not demented, were studied along with 28 clinically healthy individuals and 23 patients with probable Alzheimer disease (AD) for comparison. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Standard neuropathologic techniques and classification according to Khachaturian, Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer Disease, and National Institute on Aging-Reagan criteria were used to analyze autopsy tissue from 15 individuals who died while their clinical diagnosis was aMCI. For comparison, autopsy data on age-matched groups of clinically healthy individuals and patients with probable AD were analyzed. RESULTS: Most patients with aMCI did not meet the neuropathologic criteria for AD, but their pathologic findings suggest a transitional state of evolving AD. All the patients with aMCI had pathologic findings involving medial temporal lobe structures, likely accounting for their memory impairment. In addition, there were many concomitant pathologic abnormalities, including argyrophilic grain disease, hippocampal sclerosis, and vascular lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The neuropathologic features of aMCI matched the clinical features and seemed to be intermediate between the neurofibrillary changes of aging and the pathologic features of very early AD.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Post-mortem changes in skeletal muscle protease and creatine phosphokinase activity--a possible marker for determination of time of death.

The pattern of change in activity of two enzymes in rat skeletal muscle during body storage after death has been determined. Myofibrillar protease activity was found to increase linearly with time of storage post mortem at room temperature but not at 4 degrees C. In contrast, creatine phosphokinase activity declines linearly with time, and again storage at 4 degrees C prevented the change in enzyme activity. Starvation of animals for 5 days or forced exercise prior to death did not markedly alter the rate of change in activity of the two enzymes, although creatine phosphokinase specific activity at time of death was higher in the starved and exercised rats as compared to control animals. A plot of the logarithm of protease/creatine phosphokinase specific activities ratio versus time post mortem yields a linear curve at room temperature. These observations offer a potential method for estimating time of death.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Effects of post-mortem autolysis on the detection of rabies virus genomic RNA and mRNA in mouse brain by using in situ hybridization.

The effects of post-mortem autolysis were studied on the detection of rabies virus RNA in the brains of mice with experimental rabies by using in situ hybridization (ISH). The brains of CVS-infected mice were subjected to autolytic periods in situ of up to 72 h. ISH was performed with 3H-labelled RNA probes for rabies virus glycoprotein gene genomic RNA and mRNA. During the post-mortem period there was progressive loss of signals for genomic RNA and mRNA, which was greater for mRNA. ISH signals in perikarya also changed for genomic RNA from a multifocal to a diffuse distribution during the post-mortem period. Rabies virus antigen was better preserved during the autolytic period. Effects of the agonal state, degradation of RNA by ribonucleases, and diffusion of RNA out of cells prior to fixation could explain the loss of ISH signals in post-mortem tissues.

Animals↗

PubMed1976

[The radiology of Egyptian mummies (author's transl)].

The technique used for the radiological examination of a well preserved mummy is described. Problems of identification and determination of age, size and sex are discussed. Post mortem changes consist of subluxation of the cervical spine and fractures of the ribs and fibulae. Of medical interest, it was possible to diagnose definitely Scheuermann's disease with a scoliosis and marked reactive spondylotic and spondylo-arthritic changes. The radiological findings provided further information regarding the technique of mummification and the method of burial. Some findings of mythological significance could be demonstrated radiologically, such as the fact that the heart and kidneys had been left in the body, the presence of a scarab, various gold plates and amulets and a fayence-decorated shroud.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗

PubMed1978

A histological study of post mortem changes in the skeletal muscle of the fowl (Gallus domesticus). II. The cytoarchitecture.

Changes in the histology of skeletal muscle at an ultrastructural level have been studied in the pectoralis thoracica and iliotibialis muscles of the fowl (Gallus domesticus). The carcasses were stored at 40 degrees C and samples removed at various times post mortem. The Z discs and I bands degenerate rapidly (less than 4 hours) but the thick filaments of the A band are remarkably resistant to change (greater than 24 hours). The sarcolemma, mitochondria, glycogen content, sarcotubular system and myonuclei also show marked changes in less than 4 hours. Myelin figures and autophagic vacuoles are among other features seen in post mortem tissue. There are more degenerate mitochondria and vesicular remnants of the sarcotubular system in the iliotibialis than in the pectoralis muscle, but this reflects a differing concentration of these organelles in vivo. No other consistent difference in the post mortem histology of these muscles has been observed.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Comparison between computed tomography (CT) and autopsy findings in cases of abdominal injury and disease.

We report 10 autopsy cases involving fatal pathological changes in abdominal organs, for which findings of computed tomography (CT) on admission or after death were compared with autopsy findings. Two of the cases were death due to natural causes and eight were death due to traffic accidents. From the findings at autopsy, the causes of death were considered to be rupture of an aortic aneurysm in one case, gastrointestinal bleeding due to gastric cancer in one case, retroperitoneal bleeding in two cases, laceration of the liver in three cases, and traumatic rupture of the small intestine in three cases. CT findings revealed ascites or retroperitoneal bleeding in eight cases. However, in the cases of small-intestinal rupture, CT findings on admission revealed no free air. Therefore, ascites on CT should be regarded as a useful indicator of blunt abdominal trauma. Hepatic portal venous gas, known to be a post-mortem change, was significantly evident on post-mortem CT in cases of traumatic liver or intestinal injury, and was also seen in cases where the period between the accident and CT examination was long.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed1997

Fractures of the base of the skull in charred bodies--post-mortem heat injuries or signs of mechanical traumatisation?

Based on a recent case, in which an expert opinion had to be prepared, the question was investigated if fractures of the base of the skull can result from the influence of heat on the human skull. Neither the retrospective analysis of autopsy records nor the prospective examination of charred bodies revealed any cases with heat-induced fractures of the base of the skull. Observation of cremations showed that the changes caused by the fire followed certain rules: fractures of the calvaria were seen after approximately 20 min; the base of the skull became exposed after about 45 to 60 min. In none of the 20 cremations watched could any fractures of the base of the skull be detected.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Vascular function in the cadaver up to six hours after cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate how well vascular function is retained in a cadaver kept in a room with a temperature of 21 degrees C. METHODS: The aorta and pulmonary artery of rats were investigated in organ baths as fresh controls and after 1, 2, 3, or 6 hours' storage in the cadaver. Six-hour-old cadaver aortas were transplanted and investigated after 24 hours and 60 days. RESULTS: After 3 hours' storage there was no significant decrease in smooth muscle contractile function in either aorta or pulmonary artery. After 6 hours' storage both the aorta and the pulmonary artery demonstrated a significant decrease in smooth muscle contractile function, 30% (p < 0.05) and 44% (p < 0.001), respectively, compared to fresh controls. Storing the aorta for 2 hours and the pulmonary artery for 6 hours caused no significant decrease in endothelium-dependent relaxing function. In aorta segments investigated after 3 and 6 hours there was a significant decrease in endothelium-dependent relaxation, 12% (p < 0.05) and 29% (p < 0.001), respectively. Six-hour-old cadaver aortas transplanted and investigated after 24 hours or 60 days demonstrated no significant changes in endothelium-dependent relaxation and smooth muscle function compared to fresh controls. CONCLUSION: The pulmonary artery can tolerate 3 hours of warm ischemia in the nonheart-beating cadaver without loss of endothelium-dependent relaxation and smooth muscle function. The dysfunction seen in 6-hour-old cadaver aortas was normalized after transplantation and 24 hours of reperfusion.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

A comparative proteome analysis of hippocampal tissue from schizophrenic and Alzheimer's disease individuals.

The proteins expressed by a genome have been termed the proteome. Comparative proteome analysis of brain tissue offers a novel means to identify biologically significant gene products that underlie psychopathology. In this study we collected post mortem hippocampal tissue from the brains of seven schizophrenic, seven Alzheimer's disease (AD) and seven control individuals. Hippocampal proteomes were visualised by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of homogenised tissue. A mean of 549 (s.d. 35) proteins were successfully matched between each disease group and the control group. In comparison with the control hippocampal proteome, eight proteins in the schizophrenic hippocampal proteome were found to be decreased and eight increased in concentration, whereas, in the AD hippocampal proteome, 35 proteins were decreased and 73 were increased in concentration (P<0.05). One protein, which was decreased in concentration in both diseases, was characterised as diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI) by N-terminal sequence analysis. DBI can regulate the action of the GABA(A) receptor. Protein changes involved 6% of the assessed AD hippocampal proteome, whereas, in schizophrenia protein changes involved less than 1% of the assessed hippocampal proteome. We conclude that schizophrenia has a subtle neuropathological presentation and comparative proteome analysis is a viable means by which to investigate diseases of the brain at the molecular level.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Environmental hyperthermic infant and early childhood death: circumstances, pathologic changes, and manner of death.

Infant and early childhood death caused by environmental hyperthermia (fatal heat stroke) is a rare event, typically occurring in vehicles or beds. The aims of this study were to describe the demographics, circumstances, pathology, and manner of death in infants and young children who died of environmental hyperthermia and to compare these cases with those reported in the literature. Scene investigation, autopsy reports, and the microscopic slides of cases from three jurisdictions were reviewed. The subjects in 10 identified cases ranged in age from 53 days to 9 years. Eight were discovered in vehicles and 2 in beds. When the authors' cases were grouped with reported cases, the profile of those in vehicles differed from those in beds. The former were older, were exposed to rapidly reached higher temperatures, and often had more severe skin damage. The latter were mostly infants and were exposed to lower environmental temperatures. Hepatocellular necrosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation were reported in victims who survived at least 6 hours after the hyperthermic exposure. The consistent postmortem finding among nearly all victims was intrathoracic petechiae, suggesting terminal gasping in an attempt at autoresuscitation before death. The manner of death was either accident or homicide. Recommendations for the scene investigation are made.

Accidents↗

PubMed1985

Radiofrequency dielectric properties of animal tissues as a function of time following death.

The dielectric properties of three bovine tissues, liver, kidney and spleen, as a function of time following death, were measured in the frequency range from 20 kHz to 100 MHz using an automatic network analyser and an end-of-the-line sensor. The dielectric constant of kidney and spleen decreases as a function of time following death, particularly at frequencies below 1 MHz. However, all tissues measured show a characteristic increase in the frequency-independent ionic conductivity. This is believed to reflect changes in the conductivity of the extracellular region of tissues after death. The dielectric parameters, i.e. the static dielectric constant, the relaxation time and the coefficient of the relaxation time distribution, obtained by a curve-fitting process, do not change within the first 10 h following death in the case of liver, whereas early changes occur for both kidney and spleen. High initial values of the static dielectric constant for these tissues decrease significantly within a few hours following death. Similarly, the relaxation time which is relatively long for kidney and spleen, as compared with liver, decreases with time. Our data compare favourably with those reported by several investigators for similar tissues in other species (dog, cat, swine and cattle).

Animals↗

PubMed1982

Calcium-induced weakening of skeletal muscle Z-disks.

Structural changes in the Z disk were sensitively detected by measuring fragmentation indexes of myofibrils. The Ca2+-induced weakening of Z disks and the Z-disk removal by muscle calpain could be clearly distinguished by using muscle calpastatin, an endogenous inhibitor of muscle calpain. The Ca2+-induced weakening of Z disks occurred without concomitant release of alpha-actinin and had maxima at 10(-4) M Ca2+ and 45 degrees C and a minimum at pH 6.5, while the Z-disk removal by calpain had similar optima to the caseinolytic activity of calpain, at 10(-3) M Ca2+, 20 degrees C and pH 7.0. The Ca2+-induced weakening of Z disks is therefore not due to the proteolytic action of calpain. In postmortem muscle, moreover, the Ca2+-induced weakening of Z disks was inferred to be predominate over calpain proteolysis, and therefore to be the major factor in the characteristic weakening of Z disks.

Actinin↗

PubMed1984

Indirect adrenergic effect of histamine in human cerebral arteries: influence of post-mortem period.

Histamine (10(-4) M) increased the radioactivity released from human cerebral arteries obtained within 6 h of death and preincubated with [3H]noradrenaline. In the presence of 10(-6) M cocaine or if 7 or more hours had elapsed since death, 10(-4) M histamine was unable to change basal levels of tritium outflow. The radioactivity retained by the tissue was higher when cerebral blood vessels were obtained within a post-mortem period of 6 h. These results suggest that histamine may release noradrenaline from the sympathetic innervation of human cerebral arteries and that the function of this innervation lasts only 6 h after death.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

[Macro, micro and ultrastructural observations of pituitary, adrenal, pancreas and spleen in experimental brain death].

The purpose of this study is to observe the macro, micro and ultrastructural changes of the pituitary, adrenal, pancreas and spleen in the experimental primary brain death. The results showed: 1. acinar zymogen granule of pancreas decreased, karyopyknosis of islet cells formed. 2. dilation and blood stasis of spleen sinus happened 3. adrenocortical karyopyknosis formed, mitochondrial crista vanish. 4. Pituitary karyopyknosis and cytolysis developed. 5. there was correlation between the extent of lesions and time after brain death.

Adrenal Glands↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Results of applying molecular-and-genetic markers of chromosomal DNA in identification of unrecognizable remains of servicemen lost in military actions in the Northern Caucasus].

The results of applying molecular-and-genetic markers of chromosomal DNA in identifying unrecognizable remains of servicemen lost as dead in 1994-1996 and 1999-2001 military campaigns in the Northern Caucuses are summarized in the paper. Some of the specific features related with enzymatic amplification typing of DNA preparations sampled from degraded biological tissues of strongly deformed or decayed cadavers were analyzed. The typing results were analyzed by the AB0 system of degraded expertise samples in order to check the reliability of routine forensic-biological examinations as applicable to cadaver tissues with pronounced putrefactive changes. It was established that group-specific antigens of the AB0 system were correctly determined only in 67.5% of cases. False results were obtained in the other 32.5% of cases. Most of them were related with determination of groups 0(I) and A(II).

Biomarkers↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of the weather conditions on process of temperature changes of cadaver in diagnostics of the time of death].

The impact exerted by weather conditions on the changing cadaver temperature (CCT) is described in the paper. Various meteorological phenomena influence the cadaver as an open thermodynamic system, which affects the accuracy of death prescription (DP). A variety of such impacts are described; trends for further elaboration of algorithms, which account for the environmental factors in mathematical modeling of CCD for the purpose of a more accurate DP diagnosis, are defined.

Body Temperature↗