1/28. temporal bone pathology findings due to drowning.It has been reported that anoxia due to near-drowning or near-suffocation causes brain damage but not inner ear damage. On the other hand, it has been shown that brain death causes both brain damage and inner ear damage. However, studies of temporal bone pathology resulting from sudden death due to drowning are few. We studied temporal bone pathology in six cases of individuals who died of accidents due to drowning. In all temporal bones examined, we found extensive congestion petechiae and haemorrhage in the vessels in the mucosal layers of the middle ear and mastoid air cells, as well as in the vessels around the facial nerve and carotid canal. In the inner ear, there was no abnormality in Corti's organ or the vestibular organs, except in one case who died in the bath. Our findings suggest that petechiae haemorrhage or congestion in the vessels of the mucosal layer and the vessels themselves of the middle ear occurs upon acute death due to drowning.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/28. dna typing of human remains found in damp environments.dna typing is often used to determine identity from human remains. The environment to which the material has been exposed, however, is crucial for the success of the investigation. Damp conditions in particular can cause a rapid degradation of dna, even in bone and teeth, and thus reduce the chances of successful typing. Here, we present the results of investigations performed on four skulls that had been lying in a damp environment for periods ranging from almost 1 year to about 45 years. In none of these cases was dna typing successful on bone or, where present, on teeth. Where remnants of brain tissue were used, however, complete STR typing was possible in one case, partial STR typing in another, and mtDNA sequencing could be carried out in three cases. These findings suggest that brain tissue is relatively resistant to putrefaction in damp environments and, unlike bone, appears to exhibit a certain degree of protection against dna degradation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.66666666666667keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/28. Postmortem absorption of dichloromethane: a case study and animal experiments.A case of accidental death after occupational exposure to an atmosphere containing dichloromethane (DCM) is reported. The concentrations of DCM in the blood and tissues of a 40-year-old man who died while observing an industrial washing machine filled with DCM vapour were blood 1660 mg/l, urine 247 mg/l, brain 87 mg/kg, heart muscle 199 mg/kg and lungs 103 mg/kg which are 3-7 times higher than previously reported fatal levels. The body was left undiscovered in the machine filled with DCM vapour for about 20 h. The present study was designed to determine whether all the DCM detected in the tissues and body fluids had been inhaled while alive using rats as the experimental model. The concentrations of DCM in the tissues and body fluids of a rat that died from DCM poisoning and was left for 20 h in a box containing DCM vapour were the same as those in the tissues and body fluids of a rat that had died from an injected overdose of barbiturates and had then been placed in the DCM box in a similar manner. Moreover, the concentrations of DCM in the tissues and body fluids of the carcasses that were exposed to the DCM vapour increased gradually throughout the period of exposure. These findings imply that DCM is able to penetrate the tissues and body fluids of rat carcasses through a route other than inhalation such as through the skin.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/28. tissue distribution of olanzapine in a postmortem case.Olanzapine is a relatively new antipsychotic drug used in the united states for the treatment of schizophrenia. Since its release in the united states market in 1996, few cases of fatal acute intoxication have been reported in the literature. This article describes the case of a 25-year-old man found dead at home who had been prescribed olanzapine for schizophrenia. This case is unique because of the measurement of olanzapine in brain tissue obtained from seven regions in addition to the commonly collected biologic matrices. Olanzapine was detected and quantitated by basic liquid-liquid extraction followed by dual-column gas chromatographic analysis with nitrogen phosphorus detection. The assay had a limit of detection of 0.05 mg/L and an upper limit of linearity of 2 mg/L. The presence of olanzapine was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry by use of electron impact ionization. The concentrations of olanzapine measured in this case were as follows (mg/L or mg/kg): 0.40 (heart blood), 0.27 (carotid blood), 0.35 (urine), 0.61 (liver), negative (cerebrospinal fluid), 0.33 mg in 50 ml (gastric contents). In the brain, the following distribution of olanzapine was determined (mg/kg): negative (cerebellum), 0.22 (hippocampus), 0.86 (midbrain), 0.16 (amygdala), 0.39 (caudate/putamen), 0.17 (left frontal cortex), and 0.37 (right frontal cortex). The cause of death was determined to be acute intoxication by olanzapine, and the manner of death was accidental.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/28. Decomposition chemistry of human remains: a new methodology for determining the postmortem interval.This study was conducted to characterize the chemistry associated with the decomposition of human remains with the objective of identifying time-dependent biomarkers of decomposition. The purpose of this work was to develop an accurate and precise method for measuring the postmortem interval (PMI) of human remains. Eighteen subjects were placed within a decay research facility throughout a four-year time period and allowed to decompose naturally. Field autopsies were performed and tissue samples were regularly collected until the tissues decomposed to the point where they were no longer recognizable (encompassing a cumulative degree hour (CDH) range of approximately 1000 (approximately 3 weeks)). Analysis of the biomarkers (amino acids, neurotransmitters, and decompositional by-products) in various organs (liver, kidney, heart, brain, muscle) revealed distinct patterns useful for determining the PMI when based on CDHs. Proper use of the methods described herein allow for PMIs so accurate that the estimate is limited by the ability to obtain correct temperature data at a crime scene rather than sample variability.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/28. central nervous system consequences of an unusual body disposal strategy: case report and brief experimental investigation.The body of a 73-year-old man was dismembered by his female companion for the purpose of covert disposal. The method employed included skillful separation of body parts with hacksaw and knife, piecemeal disposal of fragments, and prolonged boiling of the decapitated head. The latter treatment resulted in marked shrinkage of cranial dura mater, separation of dura mater from skull, and extrusion of brain fragments into the resultant enlarged epidural space through a dural defect due to the disproportionately greater shrinkage of dura mater compared to brain parenchyma. This resulted in curd-like brain fragments filling an enlarged epidural space and overlying a shrunken, leathery dura mater. The cranial dura mater, still adherent to the skull base, resembled a "shrunken brain" in contour but contained only the remnants of brain tissue not already extruded through the dural defect. This unusual thermal artifact is rarely illustrated or mentioned in forensic literature. The development of this postmortem artifact likely requires the presence of a specific combination of conditions which must be, but apparently rarely are, simultaneously present.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.7506677941148keywords = brain, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/28. diffusion MRI in the postmortem brain: case report.Postmortem brain of a ten-month-old child was examined by MR imaging, and diffusion MR imaging at the 12th hour after death in order to disclose the cause of death. There were basal ganglion lesions indicating a mitochondrial disorder. There was a prominent difference between the ADC values of the white matter (0.28 /-0.04 x 10(-3) mm2/s) and cortex (0.42 /-0.04 x 10(-3) mm2/s), and this was statistically significant (p< 0.0001). This difference suggested that in the postmortem brain the conditions in the white matter leading to restriction of movement of water molecules are more severe than that in the cortex.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/28. Postmortem non-invasive virtual autopsy: death by hanging in a car.A body was found behind a car with a noose tied around its neck, the other end of the rope tied to a tree. Apparently the man committed suicide by driving away with the noose tied around his neck and was dragged out of the car through the open hatchback. postmortem multislice-computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated that the cause of death was cerebral hypoxia due to classic strangulation by hanging, and not due to a brainstem lesion because of a hang-man fracture as would be expected in such a dynamic situation. Furthermore, the MRI displayed intramuscular haemorrhage, bleeding into the clavicular insertions of the sternocleidomastoid muscles and subcutaneous neck tissue. We conclude that MSCT and MRI are useful instruments with an increased value compared with 2D radiographs to augment the external findings of bodies when an autopsy is refused. But further postmortem research and comparing validation is needed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.33333333333333keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/28. Neuropathological findings after continuous intrathecal administration of S( )-ketamine for the management of neuropathic cancer pain.Questions have been raised about the potential neurotoxicity of the neuraxial use of ketamine although ketamine and its active enantiomer S( )-ketamine have been used intrathecally and epidurally (caudally) for the management of perioperative pain and in a variety of chronic pain syndromes. Clinical experience following neuraxial administration of S( )-ketamine has been documented without reference to local central nervous system toxicity following this approach. In addition, there are no preclinical safety data regarding stability, compatibility, and neurotoxicity on intrathecal use of single S( )-ketamine or combinations of S( )-ketamine, morphine, bupivacaine, and clonidine. In the present case, the continuous intrathecal administration of S( )-ketamine, in combination with morphine, bupivacaine, and clonidine resulted in adequate pain relief in a patient suffering from intractable neuropathic cancer pain. However, postmortem observation of the spinal cord and nerve roots revealed severe histological abnormalities including central chromatolysis, nerve cell shrinkage, neuronophagia, microglial upregulation, and gliosis. Based on our results, neuraxial administration of S ( )-ketamine cannot be recommended for clinical practise before a systematic study of toxicology of neuraxial S( )-ketamine in animals or humans has been performed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.095959624790495keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/28. Subtle autonomic and respiratory dysfunction in sudden infant death syndrome associated with serotonergic brainstem abnormalities: a case report.sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is characterized by a sleep-related death in a seemingly healthy infant. Previously, we reported abnormalities in the serotonergic (5-HT) system of the medulla in SIDS cases in 2 independent datasets, including in the Northern Plains American Indians. The medullary 5-HT system is composed of 5-HT neurons in the raphe, extra-raphe, and arcuate nucleus at the ventral surface. This system is thought to modulate respiratory and autonomic function, and thus abnormalities within it could potentially lead to imbalances in sympathetic and parasympathetic tone. We report the case of a full-term American Indian boy who died of SIDS at 2 postnatal weeks, and who had subtle respiratory and autonomic dysfunction measured prospectively on the second postnatal day. Cardiorespiratory assessment of heart rate variability suggested that the ratio of parasympathetic to sympathetic tone was higher than normal in active sleep and lower than normal in quiet sleep in this case. At autopsy, arcuate nucleus hypoplasia and 5-HT receptor-binding abnormalities in the arcuate nucleus and other components of the medullary 5-HT system were found. This case suggests that medullary 5-HT system abnormalities may be able to be identified by such physiological tests before death. Replication of these findings in a large population may lead to the development of predictive cardiorespiratory assessment tools for future screening to identify infants with medullary 5-HT abnormalities and SIDS risk.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.3333333333333keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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