Aspect anatomopathologique des organes foetaux après injection létale de chlorure de potassium

L'injection létale de chlorure de potassium (KCl) peut être un mode de suicide ou d'homicide. Les méthodes biologiques demeurant insuffisantes pour différencier le potassium endogène et exogène, la cause de la mort peut n'être que suspectée lors de la levée de corps. Nous proposons dans cette étude d'évaluer l'intérêt de l'anatomopathologie conventionnelle dans ce cadre. Nous avons choisi comme modèle les décès fœtaux secondaires à une interruption médicale de grossesse. Une étude cas (120) / témoins (244) prospective et rétrospective a été réalisée. Pour chaque cas, un examen macroscopique ainsi qu'une analyse histologique des viscères ont été effectués. Dans 6 cas, des dépôts macroscopiques blanchâtres sont observés. L'histologie retrouve dans 11 cas des cristaux lancéolés groupés en amas. Cette étude originale offre une application intéressante en médecine légale.AIX-MARSEILLE2-BU Méd/Odontol. (130552103) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Estimation de l'âge foetal

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Fatal heat stroke in a child entrapped in a confined space.

International audienceWe report the case of a child succumbing to heatstroke caused by confinement in an icebox. The post mortem examination found cyanosis and hematomas indicating that the child had tried to get out of the container. The temperature of the body was higher than it should have been considering the rigor and delay before post mortem examination. The autopsy showed no significant injury and toxicological tests were negative. A physiological study etablished that death resulted from heatstroke, not a lack of oxygen or CO2 poisoning. We conclude that heat stroke should be considered as a possible mechanism of death even in the absence of context of environmental hyperthermia. We recommend that in these situations involving confinement, establishing the mechanism of death should be done not only on the basis of a detailed post-mortem examination to rule out other causes of death, but also based on complete physiological investigations

Imagerie post-mortem

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Fatal heat stroke in a child entrapped in a confined space.

International audienceWe report the case of a child succumbing to heatstroke caused by confinement in an icebox. The post mortem examination found cyanosis and hematomas indicating that the child had tried to get out of the container. The temperature of the body was higher than it should have been considering the rigor and delay before post mortem examination. The autopsy showed no significant injury and toxicological tests were negative. A physiological study etablished that death resulted from heatstroke, not a lack of oxygen or CO2 poisoning. We conclude that heat stroke should be considered as a possible mechanism of death even in the absence of context of environmental hyperthermia. We recommend that in these situations involving confinement, establishing the mechanism of death should be done not only on the basis of a detailed post-mortem examination to rule out other causes of death, but also based on complete physiological investigations

Relevance of discrete traits in forensic anthropology: From the first cervical vertebra to the pelvic girdle

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