Forensic case book : mirror image ‘selfie’ causes confusion

The body of a decomposed female was found immersed in a water purification plant in a small town. The South African Police Service (SAPS) believed that the body could be that of a person they had been searching for since the missing person report was filed.https://www.sada.co.za/the-sadjam2021Forensic MedicineOral Pathology and Oral Biolog

Self-inflicted explosive death by intra-oral detonation of a firecracker : a case report

Self-inflicted explosive deaths due to detonation of fireworks are rare. In this case report, a peculiar case of an elderly male who discharged a firecracker inside his mouth, resulting in fatal blast induced craniofacial injuries, is described. There is paucity of published data describing fireworks-related suicidal and/or non-suicidal deaths. Even scantier data is present specifically describing fireworks-related blast induced neurotrauma and the mechanism(s) of injury involved in such cases. This case report emphasizes the severe damage that a commercially available explosive, the so-called “Gorilla Bomb”, can cause, and raises questions about the relative ease of its acquisition.http://link.springer.com/journal/120242018-12-01hj2018Forensic Medicin

The added value of molecular-based diagnostics in the African forensic medical setting

Sudden unexpected infant death (SUDI) is reported to be an extraordinarily high burden in sub-Saharan Africa, with the incidence rate in South Africa among the highest in the world. It is common for the cause of many such infant deaths to remain unexplained even after a full medico-legal death investigation, and then to be categorised as a sudden unexplained infant death (SUID). Fortunately, advances in molecular- based diagnostics allow researchers to identify numerous underlying inherited cardiac arrhythmogenic disorders in many SUDI cases, with a predominance of variants identified in the SCN5A gene. Such cardiac arrhythmogenic-related sudden deaths generally present with no structural alterations of the heart that are macroscopically identifiable at autopsy, therefore highlighting the importance of post mortem genetic testing. We report on a significant genetic finding that was made on a SUDI case in which the cause was ascribed to an acute bacterial pneumonia but it was still subjected to post mortem genetic testing of the SCN5A gene. The literature shows that many SUDI cases diagnosed with inherited cardiac arrhythmogenic disorders have demonstrated a viral prodrome within days of their death. It is therefore not uncommon for these cardiac disorders in infants to be mistaken for flu, viral upper respiratory tract infection or pneumonia, and without the incorporation of post mortem genetic testing, any other contributory causes of these deaths are often disregarded. This study highlights the need for research reporting on the genetics of inherited cardiac disorders in Africa.The Genomic Research Institute from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.http://www.cvja.co.zaam2023Forensic Medicin

Osseus metaplasia in chronic renal allograft rejection

The formation of heterotopic bone tissue outside the skeleton, known as osseous metaplasia, is a well-known phenomenon, but only a handful of cases describe this in renal allografts. We report the case of a 26-year-old female who was admitted to hospital for repair of an arteriovenous fistula of the right arm. Following her demise, the incidental finding of osseous metaplasia in the allograft kidney was made at autopsy. The pathophysiology, histology and possible clinical significance of the lesion are described.http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/ajnam2017Forensic Medicin

Pulmonary aspiration of brain matter in a motor vehicle fatality : a case study

We present the case of an adult man who was involved in a motor vehicle accident as a driver. Histological examination of the lung tissue showed the presence of brain tissue within the lumens of the bronchi and bronchioles. Aspiration of brain matter is a rare phenomenon, with only 1 case described in the literature. The finding of brain tissue within the bronchi and terminal bronchioles supports the scenario of a period of agonal respiration with consequent cerebral aspiration. This article adds to the limited literature, distinguishing antemortem or agonal aspiration from postmortem passive movement.https://journals.lww.com/amjforensicmedicine/pages/default.aspx2023-08-10hj2022Forensic Medicin