American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

As the fifth leading cause of death in individuals aged 1 to 64 years in the United States, forensic pathologists frequently encounter firearm-related deaths and are trained to approach these cases by utilizing information from the investigation, radiographs, and autopsy findings to discern the logical sequence of events that lead to death. We also emphasize the importance and utility of various factors such as bullet wound characteristics, type of ammunition used, and type of tissues involved in a forensic pathologist's determination of events and in medicolegal investigations...

Currently, traditional body length measurement at postmortem analysis involves processes, which are susceptible to human error and not reviewable or reproducible in case of data loss. Many facilities are now adopting routine postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) scanning, which provides a permanent and reviewable radiological record of body dimensions. Previous literature has validated the use of PMCT in estimating body and organ weights, but not in body length measurement. This retrospective study aimed to determine whether body length can be accurately and reliably measured when compared with traditional measurements in 50 consecutive adult cases...

A study was undertaken at Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, South Australia, of all cases of homicide (January 2003-December 2022) where the victims' bodies had been concealed. Three hundred twenty-six homicides were identified, which included 27 cases where bodies had been deliberately hidden (8%) (age range, 2-82 years; ave, 34.9 years; M:F = 1.5:1). Deaths were due to blunt force trauma (n = 11), sharp force trauma (n = 4), asphyxia (n = 4), gunshot wound (n = 2), and a combination of drowning and asphyxia (n = 1)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Honor killing is a murder carried out to protect the family's reputation by actions that are perceived as shameful. Usually, honor killing occurs to preserve family's honor, which has been violated by adulteries, premarital pregnancies, or inappropriate relationships. In Southern Italy, the culture of honor is quite strong especially among the local criminal organizations. Honor crimes by Italian Mafia are intended to have an admonitory significance, and they can be carried out following a macabre ritual of "incaprettamento...

In the scientific literature, few authors deal with child sexual abuse (CSA) in boys. In addition, these authors debate this phenomenon in most available articles without statistically evaluating the occurrence of different or similar distributions of variables under sex. In light of the above, the authors compared multiple variables between female and male samples. The aim was to explore the characteristics of boys' CSA, identifying the main differences existing compared with the same phenomenon occurring in girls...

When a young previously healthy person dies suddenly, occasionally, the scene is noncontributory and the autopsy and drug screen are negative. In such cases, additional studies, including genetic assessment and cardiac conduction system examination, should be performed. We performed a literature search and reviewed our own material to identify possible or definite conduction system anomalies that may cause death. We identified intrinsic conduction system disease including cystic tumor of the atrioventricular node, atrioventricular node (cystic tumor of the AV node), and fibromuscular dysplasia of the atrioventricular node artery to be likely causes of death...

We report 8 children younger than 2 years who died from acute illicit fentanyl intoxications in Connecticut between 2020 and 2022.The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (CT OCME) investigates all unexpected, violent, and suspicious deaths in Connecticut. The CT OCME's electronic database was searched for fentanyl deaths by age. All underwent autopsies and toxicology testing.The ages ranged from 28 days to 2 years (mean age, 12 months). The causes of death involved acute fentanyl intoxications with 1 having xylazine, 1 having para-fluorofentanyl, and 1 having cocaine and morphine...

On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while watching a play from the Presidential Box at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC. There is still controversy concerning the findings of Lincoln's autopsy. The physicians that attended the autopsy documented that the bullet entered the left occipital region of the brain, but opinions differ as to the path the bullet took through the brain. The official autopsy report documented that the bullet traveled through the left brain and did not cross the midline...

Sickle cell trait is typically thought to be an asymptomatic carrier state, but it is rarely associated with exertional rhabdomyolysis in cases termed Exercise Collapse Associated with Sickle Cell Trait (ECAST). In a subset of these cases, underlying disease contributes to the development and/or severity of the ensuing medical complications. We describe the first ever case of ECAST reported in a previously asymptomatic, multiply deployed, highly physically active service member with an underlying heterozygous LAMA2 mutation...

Fractures of bones are commonly encountered in traumatic injuries, and distinguishing between antemortem (AM) and postmortem (PM) bone fractures is crucial for estimating the time since injury and has important medicolegal implications. Correct differentiation enables understanding the dynamics of the injury and, in some cases, the cause of death. The present study aims to evaluate the gross morphological and histopathological characteristics of bony fracture surfaces to determine whether they occurred before or after an individual's death...

Agriculture encompasses a variety of activities that carry with them a variety of different risks. The unsafe use of vehicles, machinery, and tools as well as animal husbandry, working at heights, and exposure to chemical, biological, and weather events may result in the deaths of agricultural workers. Inexperienced operators and/or their inappropriate conduct may lead to avoidable fatalities. Forensic pathologists operating with the support of agricultural engineers or other professionals must evaluate the death scene, the case background and circumstances, the autopsy findings, and the toxicological data to establish the factors and dynamics responsible for such accidents and deaths...

Female homicide is a broad term that includes any homicide in which the victim is a female, representing the most extreme form of violence against women. This study investigated the characteristics of female homicides to determine the types and characteristics of injury, circumstances of the events, and other aspects in this specific population. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office files were searched for homicides in female subjects between January 2017 and January 2022, with no limits for age, race, or cause of death...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

In both medical and forensic autopsy, the kidneys may be overlooked grossly and histologically. As both acute and chronic kidney dysfunction have major implications on morbidity and mortality, it is essential to consider the kidneys as a pathologic source for both immediate and proximate cause of death. For decades, vitreous humor has been used as a measure of postmortem electrolyte analysis to help understand ionic disturbances carried over from the antemortem period. Renal insufficiency from both acute and chronic kidney dysfunction can be ascertained from vitreous investigations and should be a consideration for cause of death...

Pediatric deaths that occur because of environmental neglect often involve 4 common scenarios: (1) hyperthermia due to environmental exposure, (2) ingestion of an accessible drug or poison, (3) unwitnessed/unsupervised drownings, and (4) unsafe sleep practices. Given the same fact pattern, the manner of death will vary from accident to homicide to undetermined based on local custom and/or the certifier's training and experience. Medical examiner/coroner death certifications are administrative public health determinations made for vital statistical purposes...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Thailand began offering the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine nationwide in February 2021, with 1,885 deaths reported by the end of the year. Therefore, it is essential to assess the correlation between vaccination and cause of death from autopsy. This study included 34 autopsies of a deceased within 30 days after COVID-19 vaccination performed in Bangkok under the postmortem inquest service area of Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital. The autopsies were performed by forensic pathologists. Moreover, detailed information about the deceased was collected, including age, sex, medical records, vaccination history, scene investigation reports, autopsy reports, cause of death, and a probable causal relationship between vaccination and cause of death...

The Health Officer of the City and County of San Francisco, California, issued the order that all decedents were required to have a documented COVID-19 test effective from June 2020 to June 2021. The justification for the requirement was that complete data on COVID-19 status at the time of death were needed to help protect first responders and funeral home workers, identify missed cases, and characterize the places of death for otherwise unknown COVID-19 cases. To fill the gap in COVID-19 testing for all decedents, particularly among persons dying outside of hospitals, a specialized Decedent Testing Unit was created along with an increased capacity of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner...