Ultrasonographic diagnosis of an endocarditis valvularis in a Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) with pneumonia.

PubMed

Schroff, Sandra; Schmidt, Volker; Kiefer, Ingmar; Krautwald-Junghanns, Maria-Elisabeth; Pees, Michael

2010-12-01

An 11-yr-old Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) was presented with a history of respiratory symptoms. Computed tomography and an endoscopic examination of the left lung were performed and revealed severe pneumonia. Microbiologic examination of a tracheal wash sample and an endoscopy-guided sample from the lung confirmed infection with Salmonella enterica ssp. IV, Enterobacter cloacae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Computed tomographic examination demonstrated a hyperattenuated structure within the heart. Echocardiographic examination revealed a hyperechoic mass at the pulmonic valve as well as a dilated truncus pulmonalis. As therapy for pneumonia was ineffective, the snake was euthanized. Postmortem examination confirmed pneumonia and infective endocarditis of the pulmonic valve caused by septicemia with Salmonella enterica ssp. IV. Focal arteriosclerosis of the pulmonary trunk was also diagnosed. The case presented here demonstrates the possible connection between respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in snakes.

Ocular histiocytic sarcoma in a cat.

PubMed

Scurrell, Emma; Trott, Adele; Rozmanec, Michael; Belford, Chris J

2013-07-01

A 13-year-old male neutered British blue cat presented with uveitis, hyphema, and dyscoria in the right eye. Light microscopic examination revealed that the ciliary body, iris root, drainage angle, and adjacent choroid were infiltrated by sheets of large neoplastic mononuclear and multinucleate round to polygonal cells. Neoplastic cells stained immunopositive for CD18 and HLA-DR (MHC class II) and were immunonegative for CD3, CD79a, MUM-1, CD117 (c-Kit), and S100. These findings were consistent with a histiocytic sarcoma. The cat later developed multiple cutaneous masses composed of a similar neoplastic cell population to that seen in the eye. Eight months following enucleation, the cat developed respiratory distress and was euthanized. Postmortem examination revealed multiple pulmonary tumors associated with a pleural effusion. © 2013 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Pigment retinopathy in warmblood horses with equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy and equine motor neuron disease.

PubMed

Finno, Carrie J; Kaese, Heather J; Miller, Andrew D; Gianino, Giuliana; Divers, Thomas; Valberg, Stephanie J

2017-07-01

A pigment retinopathy has been reported in adult horses with equine motor neuron disease (EMND) arising from chronic α-tocopherol (α-TP) deficiency. A pigment retinopathy has not been identified in horses with neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/EDM) that affects genetically susceptible young horses with α-TP deficiency. The objective of this report is to describe, for the first time, a pigment retinopathy in a family of α-TP-deficient Warmbloods (WB) with clinically apparent NAD/EDM or EMND. Twenty-five WB horses from one farm underwent complete neurologic and ophthalmic examinations and serum α-TP concentrations were assessed. Two of the most severely ataxic horses were euthanized and postmortem examinations performed. Alpha-TP deficiency was widespread on this farm (22 of 25 horses). Eleven of 25 horses were clinically normal (age range 2-12 years), one had signs of EMND (6 years of age), 10 had signs of ataxia consistent with NAD/EDM (1-10 years), and two of these were postmortem confirmed concurrent NAD/EDM and EMND. A pigment retinopathy characterized by varying amounts of granular dark pigment in the tapetal retina was observed in four clinically apparent NAD/EDM horses (two postmortem confirmed concurrent NAD/EDM and EMND) and one horse with clinical signs of EMND. A pigment retinopathy can be present in young α-TP-deficient Warmblood horses with clinical signs of EMND as well as those with signs of NAD/EDM. © 2016 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Imaging diagnosis--Use of multiphasic contrast-enhanced computed tomography for diagnosis of mesenteric volvulus in a dog.

PubMed

Chow, Kathleen Ella; Stent, Andrew William; Milne, Marjorie

2014-01-01

A 4-year-old German shorthaired pointer presented with collapse and hematochezia. Radiographs showed gas and fluid-distended small intestines and loss of serosal detail. Ultrasound examination showed hypomotile, fluid-distended small intestines, and thrombosed jejunal veins. Multiphasic contrast-enhanced computed tomography was performed and showed a CT "whirl sign," an important but nonspecific sign of intestinal volvulus in human patients. At surgery, the majority of the small intestine was entangled in the volvulus and showed black discoloration. The patient was euthanized. Postmortem evaluation yielded a diagnosis of jejunoileal mesenteric volvulus secondary to a congenital omphalomesenteric duct remnant. © 2013 American College of Veterinary Radiology.

[Haemoabdomen and haemothorax in a cow with metastatic granulosa cell tumor].

PubMed

Trösch, L; Müller, K; Brosinski, K; Braun, U

2015-06-01

This case report describes the clinical, ultrasonographic, pathological and histological findings in a two-year-old Swiss Braunvieh cow with granulosa cell tumor and metastases in the abdomen and thorax. The cow was ill and had tachycardia, coughing, increased breath sounds, positive reticular foreign body tests and a tense abdominal wall. Ultrasonography revealed a massive accumulation of hypoechoic fluid in the thorax and abdomen, and abdomino- and thoracocentesis yielded red fluid indicative of abdominal and thoracic haemorrhage. Because of a poor prognosis, the cow was euthanized and examined postmortem. Multiple nodular lesions were seen in the omentum, liver, spleen and lungs. The left ovary was grossly enlarged and nodular in appearance. Histological examination of the lesions revealed granulosa cell tumour of the left ovary and metastases in the omentum, liver, spleen and lungs.

Chronic active interstitial pancreatitis as a cause of transverse colonic obstruction and colic in a horse

PubMed Central

Lohmann, Katharina L.; Allen, Andrew L.

2015-01-01

A mature Quarter horse was euthanized following colic of 3 days duration. Postmortem, the large intestine, except the descending colon, was diffusely distended and associated with adhesion of the transverse colon to the pancreas, which had changes consistent with chronic active interstitial pancreatitis. Other lesions included hepatic fibrosis, erosive gastritis, and bilateral adrenal cortical hyperplasia. PMID:26538675

Chronic hypertension with subsequent congestive heart failure in a western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).

PubMed

Miller, C L; Schwartz, A M; Barnhart, J S; Bell, M D

1999-06-01

Chronic severe subclinical systemic hypertension was diagnosed in a 28-yr-old male western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Thoracic radiography, electrocardiography, and echocardiography revealed an enlarged heart with a hypertrophied left ventricle, mitral regurgitation, and a persistent left bundle branch block. Enalapril, later combined with nifedipine, was of some value in reducing the hypertension, with partial reversal of cardiac enlargement and resolution of the bundle branch block. Two years after initiation of treatment, the gorilla developed lethargy and dyspnea. The diagnosis of heart failure was confirmed under anesthesia; the gorilla did not recover and was euthanized. Postmortem examination confirmed congestive heart failure with chronic, fibrosing cardiomyopathy similar to that in other gorillas.

Hypervitaminosis D in Guinea Pigs with α-Mannosidosis

PubMed Central

Jensen, JanLee A; Brice, Angela K; Bagel, Jessica H; Mexas, Angela M; Yoon, Sea Young; Wolfe, John H

2013-01-01

A colony of guinea pigs (n = 9) with α-mannosidosis was fed a pelleted commercial laboratory guinea pig diet. Over 2 mo, all 9 guinea pigs unexpectedly showed anorexia and weight loss (11.7% to 30.0% of baseline weight), and 3 animals demonstrated transient polyuria and polydipsia. Blood chemistry panels in these 3 guinea pigs revealed high-normal total calcium, high-normal phosphate, and high ALP. Urine specific gravity was dilute (1.003, 1.009, 1.013) in the 3 animals tested. Postmortem examination of 7 animals that were euthanized after failing to respond to supportive care revealed renal interstitial fibrosis with tubular mineralization, soft tissue mineralization in multiple organs, hepatic lipidosis, and pneumonia. Analysis of the pelleted diet revealed that it had been formulated with a vitamin D3 content of more than 150 times the normal concentration. Ionized calcium and 25-hydroxyvitamin D values were both high in serum saved from 2 euthanized animals, confirming the diagnosis of hypervitaminosis D. This report discusses the clinical signs, blood chemistry results, and gross and histologic findings of hypervitaminosis D in a colony of guinea pigs. When unexpected signs occur colony-wide, dietary differentials should be investigated at an early time point. PMID:23582422

Hypervitaminosis D in guinea pigs with α-mannosidosis.

PubMed

Jensen, Janlee A; Brice, Angela K; Bagel, Jessica H; Mexas, Angela M; Yoon, Sea Young; Wolfe, John H

2013-04-01

A colony of guinea pigs (n = 9) with α-mannosidosis was fed a pelleted commercial laboratory guinea pig diet. Over 2 mo, all 9 guinea pigs unexpectedly showed anorexia and weight loss (11.7% to 30.0% of baseline weight), and 3 animals demonstrated transient polyuria and polydipsia. Blood chemistry panels in these 3 guinea pigs revealed high-normal total calcium, high-normal phosphate, and high ALP. Urine specific gravity was dilute (1.003, 1.009, 1.013) in the 3 animals tested. Postmortem examination of 7 animals that were euthanized after failing to respond to supportive care revealed renal interstitial fibrosis with tubular mineralization, soft tissue mineralization in multiple organs, hepatic lipidosis, and pneumonia. Analysis of the pelleted diet revealed that it had been formulated with a vitamin D3 content of more than 150 times the normal concentration. Ionized calcium and 25-hydroxyvitamin D values were both high in serum saved from 2 euthanized animals, confirming the diagnosis of hypervitaminosis D. This report discusses the clinical signs, blood chemistry results, and gross and histologic findings of hypervitaminosis D in a colony of guinea pigs. When unexpected signs occur colony-wide, dietary differentials should be investigated at an early time point.

Experimental forensic and bioanthropological aspects of soft tissue taphonomy: 1. Factors influencing postmortem tissue desiccation rate.

PubMed

Aturaliya, S; Lukasewycz, A

1999-09-01

Euthanized rats' carcasses were exposed in an environmental chamber to multiple variables including: (1) position, (2) enveloping clothing, and (3) soil interment in an effort to determine the individual variables' effect on postmortem rate of body and visceral organ water loss. Results indicated that body water loss was enhanced by a horizontal position versus vertical, probably because of wider spread of bacteria- and enzyme-laden abdominal fluid secondary to diaphragm digestion with consequent greater tissue digestion and liquefaction. Clothing also accelerated the desiccation rate. Desiccation was about equally as effective by soil interment as by air exposure, though simulating windy conditions by tripling the air flow rate resulted in much more rapid desiccation in the air-exposed specimen. These studies suggest that the single most important factor influencing postmortem body water loss rate is the environment at the skin surface that acts to enhance or impair water removal from the skin surface and thus influences the water concentration gradient between the skin and underlying deeper tissues.

Left coronary aneurysmal dilation and subaortic stenosis in a dog.

PubMed

Hernandez, Juan L; Bélanger, Marie-Claude; Benoit-Biancamano, Marie-Odile; Girard, Christiane; Pibarot, Philippe

2008-06-01

A 6-month-old German shepherd dog was referred for evaluation of a cardiac murmur. Upon physical examination, the auscultated heart rate was 120 beats/min, and a grade IV/VI systolic heart murmur with a point of maximal intensity over the left heart base radiating up the neck was heard. The standard echocardiographic examination showed subaortic stenosis and an anechoic tubular structure extending from the sinus of Valsalva to the left ventricular posterior wall. Aneurysmal left coronary artery (CA) was confirmed by angiography. The dog was euthanized and post-mortem examination showed severe dilatation of the proximal left CA and confirmed the subaortic stenosis. Histopathology did not demonstrate abnormalities in the walls of the CA, aorta or pulmonary artery. The exact cause of the CA aneurysmal dilation remains unknown. Subaortic stenosis, elevated coronary vascular resistance or a congenital anomaly may have contributed to the dilation. To our knowledge, coronary aneurysmal dilation has never been described in dogs. Standard echocardiography provides reliable information on coronary anatomy.

Safety and biodistribution of a double-deleted oncolytic vaccinia virus encoding CD40 ligand in laboratory Beagles

PubMed Central

Autio, Karoliina; Knuuttila, Anna; Kipar, Anja; Pesonen, Sari; Guse, Kilian; Parviainen, Suvi; Rajamäki, Minna; Laitinen-Vapaavuori, Outi; Vähä-Koskela, Markus; Kanerva, Anna; Hemminki, Akseli

2014-01-01

We evaluated adverse events, biodistribution and shedding of oncolytic vaccinia virus encoding CD40 ligand in two Beagles, in preparation for a phase 1 trial in canine cancer patients. Dog 1 received one dose of vaccinia virus and was euthanized 24 hours afterwards, while dog 2 received virus four times once weekly and was euthanized 7 days after that. Dogs were monitored for adverse events and underwent a detailed postmortem examination. Blood, saliva, urine, feces, and organs were collected for virus detection. Dog 1 had mild fever and lethargy while dog 2 experienced a possible seizure 5.5 hours after first virus administration. Viral DNA declined quickly in the blood after virus administration in both dogs but was still detectable 1 week later by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Only samples taken directly after virus infusion contained infectious virus. Small amounts of viral DNA, but no infectious virus, were detected in a few saliva and urine samples. Necropsies did not reveal any relevant pathological changes and virus DNA was detected mainly in the spleen. The dogs in the study did not have cancer, and thus adverse events could be more common and viral load higher in dogs with tumors which allow viral amplification. PMID:27119092

Myasthenia gravis in a polar bear (Ursus maritimus).

PubMed

Kenny, David E; Baier, Jeffery; Knightly, Felicia; Steinheimer, Daniel; Getzy, David M; Shelton, G Diane

2004-09-01

A 14.6-yr-old, female, multiparous polar bear (Ursus maritimus) acutely developed an apparent hind limb weakness. Physical examination and diagnostic tests including a hemogram, serum biochemistry, electrolytes, radiographs, and myelogram did not provide a definitive diagnosis. No improvement in condition was noted during 4 days of supportive care, and the bear was euthanized. An ovoid mass was present in the anterior mediastinum, and a thymoma was confirmed histologically. Compared with control polar bears, elevated serum acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies (0.13 +/- 0.06 nmol/L vs. 0.86 nmol/L) were detected by immunoprecipitation radioimmunoassay, which is consistent with myasthenia gravis (MG) in other species. Although the AChR antibody test has not been validated in the polar bear, we are confident in the postmortem diagnosis of MG, which is commonly associated with thymoma in other species.

Transplacental toxoplasmosis in a wild southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis).

PubMed

Miller, Melissa; Conrad, Patricia; James, E R; Packham, Andrea; Toy-Choutka, Sharon; Murray, Michael J; Jessup, David; Grigg, Michael

2008-05-06

In September 2004, a neonatal sea otter pup was found alive on the beach in northern Monterey Bay, CA. Efforts to locate the mother were unsuccessful. Due to a poor prognosis for successful rehabilitation, the pup was euthanized. Postmortem examination revealed emaciation, systemic lymphadenopathy and a malformation of the left cerebral temporal lobe. On histopathology, free tachyzoites and tissue cysts compatible with Toxoplasma gondii were observed in the brain, heart, thymus, liver, lymph nodes and peri-umbilical adipose. The presence of T. gondii within host tissues was associated with lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and tissue necrosis. Immunofluorescent antibody tests using postmortem serum were positive for anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG (at 1:320 and 1:1280 serum dilution, respectively), but were negative for IgG directed against Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora caninum (<1:40 each). Brain immunohistochemistry revealed positive staining for tachyzoites and tissue cysts using antiserum raised to T. gondii, but not S. neurona or N. caninum. T. gondii parasite DNA was obtained from extracts of brain and muscle by PCR amplification using the diagnostic B1 locus. Restriction enzyme digestion followed by gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of Type X T. gondii, the strain identified in the majority of southern sea otter infections.

Polioencephalomalacia and Heart Failure Secondary to Presumptive Thiamine Deficiency, Hepatic Lipidosis, and Starvation in 2 Abandoned Siamese Cats.

PubMed

Anholt, H; Himsworth, C; Britton, A

2016-07-01

Two 4-year-old spayed female Siamese cats were seized by the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after confinement to an abandoned housing unit without food for 9 weeks. One cat was found dead, and the second was euthanized within 24 hours due to neurologic deterioration despite therapy. Polioencephalomalacia of the caudal colliculus, hepatic lipidosis, cachexia, and congestive heart failure with cardiomyocyte atrophy were identified in both cats through postmortem examination and attributed to a prolonged period of starvation. Brain lesions were likely the result of thiamine deficiency (Chastek paralysis), which can be associated with both malnutrition and liver disease. This case highlights the importance of thiamine supplementation during realimentation of cats with hepatic lipidosis. Heart failure resulting from cachexia may have contributed to the death of the first cat and the morbidity of the second cat. © The Author(s) 2016.

Esophageal dissection and hematoma associated with obstruction in an Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus).

PubMed

Phair, Kristen A; Sutherland-Smith, Meg; Pye, Geoffrey W; Pessier, Allan P; Clippinger, Tracy L

2014-06-01

A 42-year-old female Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) developed a sudden onset of excessive salivation and dysphagia. Esophageal obstruction was suspected; possibly related to palm frond ingestion. Esophageal endoscopy revealed a mat of plant material in the distal esophagus. An initial attempt at relieving the obstruction was unsuccessful, but subsequent use of custom-made instruments along with insufflation and hydropulsion enabled partial removal of the material. Postimmobilization care included aggressive intravenous and rectal fluids, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic administration, and fasting. Despite treatment, the dysphagia persisted and the elephant was euthanized due to lack of improvement and grave prognosis. Postmortem examination revealed remaining plant material in the esophagus, complicated by an esophageal dissection, mural hematoma, and secondary bacterial infection. Iatrogenic trauma may have contributed to the extent of esophageal injury. Although treatment was ultimately unsuccessful, the supportive care employed could potentially aid recovery in cases of less severe esophageal trauma.

Integrating the Forensic Sciences in Wildlife Case Investigations: A Case Report of Pentobarbital and Phenytoin Toxicosis in a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

PubMed

Viner, T C; Hamlin, B C; McClure, P J; Yates, B C

2016-09-01

The application of medical knowledge to the purpose of law is the foundation of forensic pathology. A forensic postmortem examination often involves the expertise of multiple scientific disciplines to reconstruct the full story surrounding the death of an animal. Wildlife poses additional challenges in forensic investigations due to little or no associated history, and the disruptive effects of decomposition. To illustrate the multidisciplinary nature of wildlife forensic medicine, the authors outline a case of secondary pentobarbital/phenytoin toxicosis in a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The eagle was the single fatality in a group of 8 birds that fed on euthanized domestic cat remains that had been improperly disposed of in a landfill. Cooperation between responding law enforcement officers, pathologists, and other forensic scientists led to the successful diagnosis and resolution of the case. © The Author(s) 2016.

Determination of anatomic landmarks for optimal placement in captive-bolt euthanasia of goats.

PubMed

Plummer, Paul J; Shearer, Jan K; Kleinhenz, Katie E; Shearer, Leslie C

2018-03-01

OBJECTIVE To determine the optimal anatomic site and directional aim of a penetrating captive bolt (PCB) for euthanasia of goats. SAMPLE 8 skulls from horned and polled goat cadavers and 10 anesthetized horned and polled goats scheduled to be euthanized at the end of a teaching laboratory. PROCEDURES Sagittal sections of cadaver skulls from 8 horned and polled goats were used to determine the ideal anatomic site and aiming of a PCB to maximize damage to the midbrain region of the brainstem for euthanasia. Anatomic sites for ideal placement and directional aiming were confirmed by use of 10 anesthetized horned and polled goats. RESULTS Clinical observation and postmortem examination of the sagittal sections of skulls from the 10 anesthetized goats that were euthanized confirmed that perpendicular placement and firing of a PCB at the intersection of 2 lines, each drawn from the lateral canthus of 1 eye to the middle of the base of the opposite ear, resulted in consistent disruption of the midbrain and thalamus in all goats. Immediate cessation of breathing, followed by a loss of heartbeat in all 10 of the anesthetized goats, confirmed that use of this site consistently resulted in effective euthanasia. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Damage to the brainstem and key adjacent structures may be accomplished by firing a PCB perpendicular to the skull over the anatomic site identified at the intersection of 2 lines, each drawn from the lateral canthus of 1 eye to the middle of the base of the opposite ear.

Spinal cord compression in two related Ursus arctos horribilis.

PubMed

Thomovsky, Stephanie A; Chen, Annie V; Roberts, Greg R; Schmidt, Carrie E; Layton, Arthur W

2012-09-01

Two 15-yr-old grizzly bear littermates were evaluated within 9 mo of each other with the symptom of acute onset of progressive paraparesis and proprioceptive ataxia. The most significant clinical examination finding was pelvic limb paresis in both bears. Magnetic resonance examinations of both bears showed cranial thoracic spinal cord compression. The first bear had left-sided extradural, dorsolateral spinal cord compression at T3-T4. Vertebral canal stenosis was also observed at T2-T3. Images of the second bear showed lateral spinal cord compression from T2-T3 to T4-T5. Intervertebral disk disease and associated spinal cord compression was also observed at T2-T3 and T3-T4. One grizzly bear continued to deteriorate despite reduced exercise, steroid, and antibiotic therapy. The bear was euthanized, and a necropsy was performed. The postmortem showed a spinal ganglion cyst that caused spinal cord compression at the level of T3-T4. Wallerian-like degeneration was observed from C3-T6. The second bear was prescribed treatment that consisted of a combination of reduced exercise and steroid therapy. He continued to deteriorate with these medical therapies and was euthanized 4 mo after diagnosis. A necropsy showed hypertrophy and protrusion of the dorsal longitudinal ligament at T2-T3 and T3-T4, with resulting spinal cord compression in this region. Wallerian-like degeneration was observed from C2-L1. This is one of few case reports that describes paresis in bears. It is the only case report, to the authors' knowledge, that describes spinal magnetic resonance imaging findings in a grizzly bear and also the only report that describes a cranial thoracic myelopathy in two related grizzly bears with neurologic signs.

Left ventricular inflow tract obstruction secondary to a myxoma in a dog.

PubMed

Fernandez-del Palacio, M Josefa; Sanchez, Joaquin; Talavera, Jesus; Martínez, Carlos

2011-01-01

This is the first description of a left ventricular inflow tract obstruction secondary to a myxoma in a dog. A 4 yr old, male fox terrier presented with a 1 mo history of cough and exercise intolerance. Expiratory dyspnea, pulmonary crackles, irregular cardiac rhythm, and a grade 4/6 pansystolic cardiac murmur over the left cardiac apex were the most important features on physical examination. The electrocardiogram revealed atrial fibrillation. Thoracic radiographs showed left-sided cardiac enlargement and mild pulmonary edema, especially in the hilar area. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography showed severe left atrial dilation and a homogenous, echodense mass involving both leaflets of the mitral valve and the posteromedial papillary muscle, inducing mitral stenosis. Spectral Doppler echocardiography was consistent with severe left ventricular inflow tract obstruction secondary to a mass. Therapy for congestive heart failure was prescribed. Follow-up examinations of the dog 1 mo, 2 mo, and 6 mo after diagnosis showed an improvement in clinical signs, but similar echocardiographic features. Eleven months after diagnosis, the dog was euthanized at the owner's request because of recurrent congestive heart failure. The postmortem examination showed the cardiac tumor was consistent with a myxoma.

Comparison between surgical and standing percutaneous contact Nd:YAG laser periosteal transection for potential treatment of equine limb deformities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tate, Lloyd P.; Baines, Steven J.; Meuten, Donald J.; Stefanacci, J.

1994-09-01

Medial and lateral aspects of both radiuses were subjected to periosteal transection of nine healthy equine foals. One site per foal was subjected to surgical periosteal transection and elevation under general anesthesia. The remaining three sites of each foal after injection of a local anesthetic received Nd:YAG contact percutaneous periosteal transection. All radiuses were evaluated radiographically prior to periosteal transection and immediately prior to euthanasia. Foals were euthanized at 3 days, 31 to 34 days, and 67 days post-periosteal transection and gross postmortem and histologic examination performed on each site. Radiographically, periosteal proliferation occurred at all the conventional surgery sites and a majority of the percutaneous laser sites by 30 days post-treatment and was present at 67 days. No limb angulations were noted to occur in any of the foals. The conclusion of the study was that Nd:YAG percutaneous laser periosteal transection was successful in producing periosteal obliteration but with a different histologic appearance than that produced by conventional surgery.

Sub-occipital craniectomy in a lion (Panthera leo) with occipital bone malformation and hypovitaminosis A.

PubMed

Shamir, Merav H; Shilo, Yael; Fridman, Alon; Chai, Orit; Reifen, Ram; Miara, Limor

2008-09-01

Neurologic dysfunction accompanied by malformation of both the skull and the cervical vertebrae has been previously described in lions kept in captivity worldwide, and this dysfunction and malformation were most often related to vitamin A deficiency. Diagnosis of the bone malformation and its effects on the neural tissue was until recently limited to postmortem examination, with characteristic thickening of the bones of the cranial vault, cerebellar herniation, compression of the foramen magnum, and enlargement of the lateral ventricles. For some mildly affected lion cubs with neurologic signs, improvement was reported with excessive vitamin A supplementation. However, definitive diagnosis was only available for those that eventually died or were euthanized. This case documents the antemortem diagnosis of the disease using computed tomographic imaging and liver biopsy. While conservative treatment failed, suboccipital craniectomy removed the thickened occipital bone and was demonstrated to be a successful surgical intervention that can be used to treat more severely affected lions.

Post-mortem detection of gasoline residues in lung tissue and heart blood of fire victims.

PubMed

Pahor, Kevin; Olson, Greg; Forbes, Shari L

2013-09-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether gasoline residues could be detected post-mortem in lung tissue and heart blood of fire victims. The lungs and heart blood were investigated to determine whether they were suitable samples for collection and could be collected without contamination during an autopsy. Three sets of test subjects (pig carcasses) were investigated under two different fire scenarios. Test subjects 1 were anaesthetized following animal ethics approval, inhaled gasoline vapours for a short period and then euthanized. The carcasses were clothed and placed in a house where additional gasoline was poured onto the carcass post-mortem in one fire, but not in the other. Test subjects 2 did not inhale gasoline, were clothed and placed in the house and had gasoline poured onto them in both fires. Test subjects 3 were clothed but had no exposure to gasoline either ante- or post-mortem. Following controlled burns and suppression with water, the carcasses were collected, and their lungs and heart blood were excised at a necropsy. The headspace from the samples was analysed using thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Gasoline was identified in the lungs and heart blood from the subjects that were exposed to gasoline vapours prior to death (test subjects 1). All other samples were negative for gasoline residues. These results suggest that it is useful to analyse for volatile ignitable liquids in lung tissue and blood as it may help to determine whether a victim was alive and inhaling gases at the time of a fire.

Disseminated protothecosis associated with diskospondylitis in a dog.

PubMed

Manino, Paul M; Oliveira, Fabiano; Ficken, Martin; Swinford, Amy; Burney, Derek

2014-01-01

A 6 yr old female Labrador retriever was evaluated for an acute onset of difficulty walking and a head tilt. Initial physical examination revealed bilateral retinal detachment, a left-sided head tilt, positional rotary nystagmus, and lumbar hyperpathia. Pertinent preliminary diagnostic findings included systemic hypertension, bony lysis and adjacent sclerosis of the vertebral endplates of the first and second lumbar vertebrae, and positive urine and blood cultures for a yeast identified as Candida spp. Concerned about disseminated candidiasis after subsequent subretinal aspirates confirmed the presence of a yeast-like organism, therapy with voriconazole was initiated. Because of progressive clinical deterioration and the poor prognosis for recovery, the dog was eventually euthanized. Postmortem histological examination of tissues, including the affected vertebral endplates, revealed numerous intralesional algae compatible with Prototheca spp. To the authors' knowledge, this report is the first to document a case of protothecal diskospondylitis with possible concurrent candidiasis in a dog. Although typically associated with signs referable to the gastrointestinal tract, this report underscores the importance of not excluding protothecosis as a differential diagnosis when such signs are absent. Lastly, the use of voriconazole appears ineffective for reversing the clinical course of late-stage disseminated protothecosis.

[Post-mortem examination prior to cremation--an instrument to verify the quality of medical post-mortems and uncover non-natural deaths?].

PubMed

Germerott, Tanja; Todt, Melanie; Bode-Jänisch, Stefanie; Albrecht, Knut; Breitmeier, Dirk

2012-01-01

The external post-mortem examination, its deficient quality and possible causes have been the subject of numerous political and professional discussions. The external post-mortem examination is the basis for the decision whether further criminal investigations are required to clarify the cause of death. It is thus an essential instrument to ensure legal certainty. Before cremation, a second external post-mortem examination is performed by a public medical officer to make sure that errors of the first post-mortem are corrected. In the present study, cases were retrospectively analyzed in which a forensic autopsy had been ordered on the basis of the results of the post-mortem examination performed before cremation. The entries on the death certificate regarding the manner and cause of death were compared with the autopsy results. Between 1998 and 2007, 387 autopsies were ordered after external examination before cremation. In 55 cases (14.2%), the autopsy revealed a non-natural death, although a natural death had been attested on the death certificate. In descending order, a wrong manner of death was attested by clinicians, general practitioners and emergency physicians. With regard to the place where the first external post-mortem had been performed the lowest error rate was seen in nursing homes. Concerning the cause of death, discrepancies between the first post-mortem and autopsy were found in 59.4% of the cases. In this respect, general practitioners and clinicians were ranking first, whereas in nursing homes the cause of death was wrongly assessed in over 70% of cases. At present, the medical post-mortem does not meet the required quality standards, especially with regard to legal certainty. Determination of the cause of death on the basis of the external post-mortem examination is a challenging task even for the experienced medical examiner. As to the categorization of the manner of death it has to be stated that non-natural deaths are often not recognized or that the possibility to certify a death as unclear is not sufficiently used. As a result, it seems important to demand intensive, qualified, additional training in external post-mortem examinations for physicians.

Use of laser rhinoscopy to treat a nasal obstruction in a captive California sea lion (Zalophus californianus).

PubMed

Sherrill, Johanna; Peavy, George M; Kopit, Mark J; Garner, Michael M; Gardiner, Chris H; Adams, Lance M

2004-06-01

Laser rhinoscopy was used to treat a nasal obstruction in a captive California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). The rehabilitated, adult, female sea lion developed mucopurulent, intermittent, bilateral nasal discharge and functional nasal obstruction 20 mo after acquisition by the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. A 3-mm-thick soft tissue structure spanning the region between the soft and hard palates, a deviated nasal septum, and several nasopharyngeal polyps were identified. Biopsies and cultures of the obstructive web showed ulcerative granulation tissue with suppurative inflammation, bacterial infection, and a partial section of an arthropod larva (not speciated). Laser rhinoscopy was performed to relieve the caudal nasopharyngeal obstruction and ablate the polyps. The sea lion appeared to breathe through the nares with lessened nasal discharge for a period of 6 wk after laser therapy, but within 8 wk the mucopurulent nasal discharge returned, the obstruction had reformed, and the sea lion was euthanized. Postmortem examination confirmed antemortem diagnoses of caudal nasopharyngeal obstruction secondary to inflammatory tissue; however, no additional sections of arthropod parasites were located microscopically.

Bubbles in live-stranded dolphins.

PubMed

Dennison, S; Moore, M J; Fahlman, A; Moore, K; Sharp, S; Harry, C T; Hoppe, J; Niemeyer, M; Lentell, B; Wells, R S

2012-04-07

Bubbles in supersaturated tissues and blood occur in beaked whales stranded near sonar exercises, and post-mortem in dolphins bycaught at depth and then hauled to the surface. To evaluate live dolphins for bubbles, liver, kidneys, eyes and blubber-muscle interface of live-stranded and capture-release dolphins were scanned with B-mode ultrasound. Gas was identified in kidneys of 21 of 22 live-stranded dolphins and in the hepatic portal vasculature of 2 of 22. Nine then died or were euthanized and bubble presence corroborated by computer tomography and necropsy, 13 were released of which all but two did not re-strand. Bubbles were not detected in 20 live wild dolphins examined during health assessments in shallow water. Off-gassing of supersaturated blood and tissues was the most probable origin for the gas bubbles. In contrast to marine mammals repeatedly diving in the wild, stranded animals are unable to recompress by diving, and thus may retain bubbles. Since the majority of beached dolphins released did not re-strand it also suggests that minor bubble formation is tolerated and will not lead to clinically significant decompression sickness.

Presumptive keratoglobus in a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

PubMed

Lau, Rachael K; Moresco, Anneke; Woods, Sarah J; Reilly, Christopher M; Hawkins, Michelle G; Murphy, Christopher J; Hollingsworth, Steven R; Hacker, Dennis; Freeman, Kate S

2017-11-01

A juvenile to young adult, male, great horned owl (Bubo virginianus,GHOW) was presented to the wildlife rehabilitation hospital at Lindsay Wildlife Museum (WRHLWM) due to trauma to the right patagium from barbed wire entanglement. On presentation, both corneas were irregular, dry, and no movement of the third eyelid was noted. A severe corneal enlargement/globoid appearance was the predominant ophthalmic feature. The fundus was normal in both eyes (OU). Over the course of several days, both corneas developed edema combined with further dessication at the ocular surface associated with diffuse dorsal fluorescein stain uptake. Repeated ophthalmic examinations found normal intraocular pressures and an inability to move the third eyelid over the enlarged corneas. The bird was deemed nonreleasable due to severe wing damage and poor prognosis associated with eye abnormalities and was humanely euthanized. Postmortem CT, enucleation, and histopathology were performed to evaluate the ocular anatomical abnormality and confirm the suspected diagnosis of keratoglobus. This GHOW represents the first reported case of presumptive keratoglobus in a raptor. © 2016 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Histopathologic lesions in conventional pigs experimentally infected with Haemophilus parasuis serovar 5.

PubMed

Palzer, A; Austin-Busse, R-L; Ladinig, A; Balka, G; Zoels, S; Ritzmann, M

2015-01-01

In the present study various tissues of pigs were investigated for the presence of histopathologic lesions after an experimental infection with Haemophilus (H.) parasuis serovar 5. Conventional pigs (n = 36) were divided into a control group B (n = 9) and a challenge group A (n = 27), which was infected intratracheally. Pigs that did not die prior to study termination were euthanized on day 14 post inoculation. Postmortem samples of the lung, heart, liver, kidney, spleen, left tarsal joint capsule and brain were collected. All but one pig with detectable histopathologic lesions (n = 11) showed typical macroscopic changes. Histopathologic examination of all tissue samples identified pyelitis (n = 10), synovitis (n = 7) and meningitis (n = 7) and all those animals were euthanized prior to study termination. No histopathologic lesions were found in pigs of the control group. The correlations between pyelitis and meningitis, pyelitis and synovitis and synovitis and meningitis were significant (p < 0.001). No significant correlation could be observed between the histopathologic and the clinical examination of the joints. The investigation of samples from the joints by PCR was not significantly correlated with the observed synovitis. The clinical observation of neurologic signs was significantly correlated with meningitis (p = 0.03). A significant correlation (p < 0.001) could be detected between meningitis and the detection of H. parasuis by PCR in brain samples. H. parasuis constantly causes clinical signs and pathologic lesions as soon as it infects the brain while it can infect the joints without causing histopathologic lesions. Pigs with histopathologic lesions do not always show typical clinical signs. Only few studies described the finding of kidney lesions in pigs with Glässer's disease and this is the first study to describe a pyelitis in pigs experimentally infected with H. parasuis. The observed pyelitis mainly occurred in acute cases.

[Postmortem CT examination in a case of alleged drowning--a case report].

PubMed

Woźniak, Krzysztof; Urbanik, Andrzej; Rzepecka-Woźniak, Ewa; Moskała, Artur; Kłys, Małgorzata

2009-01-01

The authors present an analysis of postmortem CT examination in a case of drowning in fresh water of a young male. Both the results of conventional forensic autopsy and radiologic examination have been compared. The analysis is illustrated by two-dimensional and three-dimensional reconstructions based on the DICOM files obtained during postmortem CT examination.

The impact of antemortem computed tomographic scanning on postmortem examination rate and frequency of missed diagnosis: A retrospective analysis of postmortem examination data.

PubMed

Liisanantti, Janne Henrik; Ala-Kokko, Tero Ilmari

2015-12-01

The present study was conducted to explore the impact of computed tomographic (CT) scanning on the diagnostic discrepancy rate. This single-center, retrospective study reviewed postmortem examination results, clinical diagnoses, and radiologic imaging data for patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in 2008 to 2013. The Goldman criteria were used to classify diagnostic discrepancies. The data of 577 patients who died during their ICU stay were retrieved. The postmortem examination rate was 42.9% (n=248). Significant diagnostic discrepancies (Goldman I and II) were recorded in 24 cases (9.7%). The postmortem examination rate decreased significantly from the first half (n=143; 51.1%) to the second half (n=105; 35.4%) of the study period (P<.0001). Among those with postmortem examinations, the use of antemortem body CT scans increased significantly from the first half (n=59; 41.3%) to the second half (n=64; 51.0%; P=.002) of the study period. The significant diagnostic discrepancy rate did not change with time (8.4% vs 11.4%, respectively; P=.424). The postmortem examination rate has decreased, whereas antemortem CT scans has increased. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Postmortem computed tomography in victims of military air mishaps: radiological-pathological correlation of CT findings.

PubMed

Levy, Gad; Goldstein, Liav; Blachar, Arye; Apter, Sara; Barenboim, Erez; Bar-Dayan, Yaron; Shamis, Ari; Atar, Eli

2007-10-01

A thorough medical inquiry is included in every aviation mishap investigation. While the gold standard of this investigation is a forensic pathology examination, numerous reports stress the important role of computed tomography in the postmortem evaluation of trauma victims. To characterize the findings identified by postmortem CT and compare its performance to conventional autopsy in victims of military aviation mishaps, we analyzed seven postmortem CT examinations. Musculoskeletal injuries accounted for 57.8% of the traumatic findings identified by postmortem CT. The most frequent findings were fractures of the rib (47%), skull (9.6%) and facial bones (8.6%). Abnormally located air accounted for 24% of findings, for which CT was superior (3.5% detected by autopsy, 100% by postmortem CT, P < 0.001). The performance of autopsy in detecting injuries was superior (autopsy detected 85.8% of all injuries, postmortem CT detected 53.9%, P < 0.001), especially in the detection of superficial lesions (100% detected by autopsy, 10.5% by postmortem CT, P < 0.001) and solid organ injuries (100% by autopsy, 18.5% by postmortem CT, P < 0.001). Performance in the detection of musculoskeletal injuries was similar (91.3% for autopsy, 90.3% for postmortem CT, P = not significant). Postmortem CT and autopsy have distinct performance profiles, and although the first cannot replace the latter it is a useful complementary examination.

[External post-mortem examination].

PubMed

Hartwig, S

2016-09-01

The external post-mortem examination in Germany is a non-delegable medical duty for determination of death, identity of the deceased, cause of death, manner of death, time of death and notifiable infectious diseases. Within the framework of rescue service missions the physician is limited to ascertaining that death has occurred. The determination of death must be reliable and is automatically followed by a complete external post-mortem examination of the body, if necessary by another physician. The certain signs of death are livor mortis, rigor mortis and putrefaction. Reliable features for the occurrence of death are injuries which are not compatible with life and brain death. The external post-mortem examination is the basis for the decision on whether further criminal investigations are necessary. The external post-mortem examination and the accompanying death certification must always be meticulously carried out.

Postmortem examination of Australian sea snakes ( Hydrophiinae): Anatomy and common pathologic conditions.

PubMed

Gillett, Amber K; Ploeg, Richard; Flint, Mark; Mills, Paul C

2017-09-01

There is limited published information about disease in wild sea snakes and no standardized guideline for postmortem examination of sea snakes. Identifying causes of morbidity and mortality of marine vertebrate species has been pivotal to understanding disease factors implicated in stranding events and assisting with the formulation of conservation plans. Additionally, postmortem findings can provide valuable information on life history traits and the ecology of these reclusive species. Sick, moribund, or dead sea snakes are intermittently washed ashore along Australian and international beaches and provide an opportunity to examine a subset of the population and identify causes of population decline. We present an illustrated description of sea snake anatomy and describe a systematic approach to postmortem examination of sea snakes. We describe common pathologic conditions identified from clinical and postmortem examinations of stranded Australian sea snakes from southeast Queensland. Notable pathologic conditions include traumatic injury, inflammatory conditions, parasitic infections, and neoplasia.

Cryopreservation of epididymal sperm collected postmortem in the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii).

PubMed

Keeley, T; McGreevy, P D; O'Brien, J K

2012-07-15

Effective sperm cryopreservation protocols are limited to a small number of marsupial species. In this study, postmortem gamete rescue (PMGR) epididymal sperm samples from Tasmanian devils (N=34) euthanized due to the fatal Devil Facial Tumor Disease were used to develop long-term sperm storage techniques for the species. Cryoprotectant toxicity associated with equilibration of sperm samples in a TEST yolk diluent (TEST; 189 mM N-Tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, 85 mM Trizma base [Tris], 11 mM glucose, 20% vol/vol egg yolk; pH 7.1, and 315.0±5.0 mOsm/kg) with a final concentration of 0.06 M trehalose, or 4%, 10%, and 18% vol/vol of either glycerol or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), was examined over 12 h at 15 °C. Trehalose supplementation resulted in an immediate decline (P<0.05) of total motility. After 12 h, total motility was reduced (P<0.05) in treatments containing 18% glycerol, and 10% and 18% dimethyl sulfoxide. The effects of final glycerol concentration (4% and 10%), glycerol equilibration duration (10 min 1 h, or 3 h) prefreeze, freezing rate and the addition of 0.10 M lactose or a combination of 0.10 M lactose and 0.11 M raffinose were assessed during three experiments on the cryopreservation of postmortem gamete rescue samples in TEST. In all experiments, motility and viability were reduced (P<0.01 postthaw). Samples cryopreserved in TEST supplemented with lactose or lactose with raffinose using a fast freezing rate (-8 °C/min from 4 to -40 °C, then -65 °C/min until -165 °C) produced the highest (P<0.05) postthaw motility (18.6±5.5% and 16.9±8.5%, respectively), which represented 35% to 48% retention of prefreeze motility. These results apparently were the best postthaw results of dasyurid sperm reported to date and will help lay the foundations for developing assisted reproductive technologies for marsupial species. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Postmortem clinical examination by experienced clinical geneticists as an alternative to conventional autopsy for assessment of fetal and perinatal deaths in countries with limited resources.

PubMed

Abdalla, Ebtesam M; El Desouky, Lubna M; Hassanein, Nargues M

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of postmortem external examination performed by an experienced clinical geneticist as an alternative to autopsy in countries with limited resources. We studied a consecutive cohort of couples seeking genetic counseling for fetal loss or perinatal death over a period of 3 years. The study involved 230 couples; only 57 of them submitted a fetus or dead neonate, for whom a meticulous postmortem clinical examination was performed by an experienced clinical geneticist. The diagnosis rate for the group of cases subjected to postmortem examination (57.9%) was much higher than that of the group that comprised cases for which diagnosis was made through evaluation of medical records (27.2%). Whenever fetal or neonatal autopsy is refused or is not feasible, a comprehensive fetal or perinatal postmortem external examination by an experienced clinical geneticist may be a reasonable substitute.

Osteomyelitis of the hyoid bones in two calves.

PubMed

Nuss, Karl; Malbon, Alexandra J; Braun, Ueli; Ringer, Simone; Muggli, Evelyne; Kircher, Patrick; Willmitzer, Florian

2015-09-22

Two calves were referred because of ptyalism and difficulty opening the mouth (Calf 1) and for elective umbilical hernia surgery under inhalation anaesthesia (Calf 2). Additional clinical signs were increased breath sounds and swelling in the region of the mandibular angle in Calf 1. Ultrasonography and endoscopy revealed oral inflammation and abscessation in the area of the base of the tongue in both calves. Infection of the hyoid apparatus was suspected based on ultrasonographic findings and confirmed by means of computed tomography. In Calf 1, there was no response to treatment with systemic antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and local lavage, and Calf 2 was not treated. Both calves were euthanized because of a poor prognosis and the diagnoses confirmed during postmortem examination. In Calf 1, the abscess was associated with complete destruction of the left epihyoid bone and partial destruction of the left stylohyoid and ceratohyoid bones. In Calf 2, the abscess was located at the distal end of the right stylohyoid bone near the epihyoid bone. Stomatitis or laryngeal and pharyngeal abscessation caused by sharp feed particles are common in cattle and infection of the hyoid apparatus should be included in the differential diagnosis.

Porcupine quill migration in the thoracic cavity of a German shorthaired pointer.

PubMed

Guevara, Jose L; Holmes, Elaine S; Reetz, Jennifer; Holt, David E

2015-01-01

A 7 yr old German shorthaired pointer presented with progressive respiratory distress and lethargy. Two weeks prior to presentation, the dog had porcupine quills removed from the left forepaw, muzzle, and sternal area. At the time of presentation, the dog had bounding pulses and friction rubs in the right dorsal lung field. Harsh lung sounds and decreased lung sounds were ausculted in multiple lung fields. Radiographs revealed a pneumothorax and rounding of the cardiac silhouette suggestive of pericardial effusion. Computed tomographic imaging was performed and revealed multiple porcupine quills in the thoracic cavity. Surgery was performed and quills were found in multiple lung lobes and the heart. Following surgery the dog remained hypotensive. A post-operative echocardiogram revealed multiple curvilinear soft-tissue opacities in the heart. Given the grave prognosis the dog was subsequently euthanized and a postmortem examination was performed. A single porcupine quill was discovered in the left atrium above the mitral valve annulus. The quill extended across the aortic root, impinging on the coronary artery below the level of the aortic valve. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first known report of porcupine quill migration through the heart.

Equine Multinodular Pulmonary Fibrosis in association with asinine herpesvirus type 5 and equine herpesvirus type 5: a case report

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

A standardbred gelding with a history of 10 days pyrexia and lethargy was referred to the Equine Hospital at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden. The horse had tachypnea with increased respiratory effort and was in thin body condition. Laboratory findings included leukocytosis, hyperfibrinogenemia and hypoxemia. Thoracic radiographs showed signs of pneumonia with a multifocal nodular pattern, which in combination with lung biopsy findings indicated Equine Multinodular Pulmonary Fibrosis (EMPF). EMPF is a recently described disease in adult horses with clinical signs of fever, weight loss and respiratory problems. The pathological findings include loss of functional pulmonary parenchyma due to extensive nodular interstitial fibrosis which has been related to infection with the equine herpesvirus type 5 (EHV-5). In this case, lung biopsy and tracheal wash samples tested positive for both asinine herpesvirus type 5 (AHV-5) and EHV-5 using PCR assays. The horse failed to respond to treatment and was euthanized for humane reasons. Postmortem examination confirmed the diagnosis of EMPF. This case suggests that not only EHV-5 alone should be considered in association with the development of this disease. PMID:23009194

Validity of Postmortem Glycated Hemoglobin to Determine Status of Diabetes Mellitus in Corneal Donors.

PubMed

Soper, Mark C; Marcovina, Santica M; Hoover, Caroline K; Calhoun, Peter M; McCoy, Kristen E; Stoeger, Christopher G; Schmidt, Gregory A; Arafah, Baha M; Price, Marianne O; Szczotka-Flynn, Loretta B; Lass, Jonathan H

2017-08-01

To examine the stability of postmortem glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurement and its relationship to premortem glycemia. Postmortem blood samples were obtained from 32 donors (8 known diabetic) and shipped on ice to a central laboratory to examine the stability of HbA1c measurements during the first 9 postmortem days. Thirty-nine other suspected diabetic donors underwent comparison of premortem and postmortem HbA1c measurements. Postmortem HbA1c measurements remained stable after 9 postmortem days (all measurements within ±0.2% from baseline with a mean difference of 0.02% ± 0.10%). Of the premortem measurements obtained within 90 days before death, 79% were within ±1.0% of the postmortem measurements compared with 40% for measurements more than 90 days apart. Three of the postmortem HbA1c measurements exceeded 6.5% (considered a threshold for diabetes diagnosis), although the medical histories did not indicate any previous diabetes diagnosis. Postmortem HbA1c testing is feasible with current eye bank procedures and is reflective of glycemic control of donors during 90 days before death. HbA1c testing could potentially be a useful adjunct to review of the medical history and records for donor assessment for endothelial keratoplasty suitability and long-term graft success.

The social life of the dead: The role of post-mortem examinations in medical student socialisation.

PubMed

Goodwin, Dawn; Machin, Laura; Taylor, Adam

2016-07-01

Dissection has held a privileged position in medical education although the professional values it inculcates have been subject to intense debate. Claims vary from it generating a dehumanising level of emotional detachment, to promotion of rational and dispassionate decision-making, even to being a positive vehicle for ethical education. Social scientists have positioned dissection as a critical experience in the emotional socialisation of medical students. However, curricular revision has provoked debate about the style and quantity of anatomy teaching thus threatening this 'rite of passage' of medical students. Consequently, some UK medical schools do not employ dissection at all. In its place, observation of post-mortem examinations - a long established, if underutilised, practice - has re-emerged in an attempt to recoup aspects of anatomical knowledge that are arguably lost when dissection is omitted. Bodies for post-mortem examinations and bodies for dissection, however, have striking differences, meaning that post-mortem examinations and dissection cannot be considered comparable opportunities to learn anatomy. In this article, we explore the distinctions between dissection and post-mortem examinations. In particular, we focus on the absence of a discourse of consent, concerns about bodily integrity, how the body's shifting ontology, between object and person, disrupts students' attempts to distance themselves, and how the observation of post-mortem examinations features in the emotional socialisation of medical students. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Running a postmortem service--a business case and clinical experience.

PubMed

Cohen, Marta C; Whitby, Elspeth; Fink, Michelle A; Collett, Jacquelene M; Offiah, Amaka C

2015-04-01

The purpose of the postmortem examination is to offer answers to explain the cause and manner of death. In the case of perinatal, infant and paediatric postmortem examinations, the goal is to identify unsuspected associated features, to describe pathogenic mechanisms and new conditions, and to evaluate the clinical management and diagnosis. Additionally, the postmortem examination is useful to counsel families regarding the probability of recurrence in future pregnancies and to inform family planning. Worldwide the rate of paediatric autopsy examinations has significantly declined during the last few decades. Religious objections to postmortem dissection and organ retention scandals in the United Kingdom provided some of the impetus for a search for non-invasive alternatives to the traditional autopsy; however, until recently, imaging studies remained an adjunct to, rather than a replacement for, the traditional autopsy. In 2012, Sheffield Children's Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust set up the service provision of minimally invasive fetal, perinatal and neonatal autopsy, while a postmortem imaging service has been running in Melbourne, Australia, since 2008. Here we summarise the essentials of a business case and practical British and Australian experiences in terms of the pathological and radiologic aspects of setting up a minimally invasive clinical service in the United Kingdom and of developing a clinical postmortem imaging service as a complementary tool to the traditional autopsy in Australia.

Dermatomycosis in three central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) associated with Nannizziopsis chlamydospora.

PubMed

Schmidt-Ukaj, Silvana; Loncaric, Igor; Spergser, Joachim; Richter, Barbara; Hochleithner, Manfred

2016-05-01

Chronic dermatomycosis was identified in 3 central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps), held as companion animals by the same owner. Clinical signs of dermatomycosis included subcutaneous masses as well as crusty, erosive, and ulcerative skin lesions. The facial region was affected in 2 of the 3 cases. Masses were surgically excised, and histology confirmed necrotizing and granulomatous inflammatory processes associated with fungal hyphae. Two of the bearded dragons were euthanized because of their deteriorating condition. In both cases, postmortem histology confirmed systemic fungal infections despite treatment of 1 animal with itraconazole. In the third bearded dragon, therapy with voriconazole at 10 mg/kg was initially effective, but mycotic lesions reappeared 15 months later. Nannizziopsis chlamydospora was identified by PCR and subsequent DNA sequencing in 2 of these cases. © 2016 The Author(s).

Dead in the water--are we killing the hospital autopsy with poor consent practices?

PubMed

Henry, Jaimie; Nicholas, Nick

2012-07-01

It is now a recognized fact that the practice of conducting a consent (or hospital) post-mortem examination is in decline. There have been many reasons put forth to explain this demise, but the quality of the consenting process is frequently cited as having a high impact. This article focuses on consent practices for post-mortem examinations in England and Wales, and considers if our consent techniques are adversely affecting post-mortem examination uptake. We examine the regulatory compliance of trusts with their statutory obligations by analyzing the Human Tissue Authority's compliance and inspection reports. We further analyze 21 publicly available NHS Trust policies on post-mortem examination consent procedures, and consider whether these are fit for the purpose of meeting the dual needs of clinicians and the bereaved. Despite more Human Tissue Authority inspections, there is a disproportionate rise in enforcement actions, with up to 48% of sampled Trusts exhibiting shortcomings in their legal duties. Additionally, only 52.4% of sampled trusts follow the Human Tissue Authority best-practice model, with 23.8% having no documented procedures. Despite the well founded evidence base for best-practice models, consent practices for post-mortem examinations remains poor and is likely to have a gross adverse effect on the rate of post-mortem examinations. We recommend that NHS Trusts rigorously review their protocols and introduce a team-approach between clinicians and trained bereavement staff in core-consent teams, as the Human Tissue Authority suggests, whilst at the same time placing a strong emphasis on education for junior and senior colleagues alike.

Metabolic Encephalopathy and Lipid Storage Myopathy Associated with a Presumptive Mitochondrial Fatty Acid Oxidation Defect in a Dog

PubMed Central

Biegen, Vanessa R.; McCue, John P.; Donovan, Taryn A.; Shelton, G. Diane

2015-01-01

A 1-year-old spayed female Shih Tzu presented for episodic abnormalities of posture and mentation. Neurological examination was consistent with a bilaterally symmetric multifocal encephalopathy. The dog had a waxing-and-waning hyperlactemia and hypoglycemia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilaterally symmetric cavitated lesions of the caudate nuclei with less severe abnormalities in the cerebellar nuclei. Empirical therapy was unsuccessful, and the patient was euthanized. Post-mortem histopathology revealed bilaterally symmetric necrotic lesions of the caudate and cerebellar nuclei and multi-organ lipid accumulation, including a lipid storage myopathy. Malonic aciduria and ketonuria were found on urinary organic acid screen. Plasma acylcarnitine analysis suggested a fatty acid oxidation defect. Fatty acid oxidation disorders are inborn errors of metabolism documented in humans, but poorly described in dogs. Although neurological signs have been described in humans with this group of diseases, descriptions of advanced imaging, and histopathology are severely lacking. This report suggests that abnormalities of fatty acid metabolism may cause severe, bilateral gray matter necrosis, and lipid accumulation in multiple organs including the skeletal muscles, liver, and kidneys. Veterinarians should be aware that fatty acid oxidation disorders, although potentially fatal, may be treatable. A timely definitive diagnosis is essential in guiding therapy. PMID:26664991

Relationship between clinical signs and postmortem test status in cattle experimentally infected with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Various clinical protocols have been developed to aid in the clinical diagnosis of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), which is confirmed by postmortem examinations based on vacuolation and accumulation of disease-associated prion protein (PrPd) in the brain. The present study investigated the occurrence and progression of sixty selected clinical signs and behaviour combinations in 513 experimentally exposed cattle subsequently categorised postmortem as confirmed or unconfirmed BSE cases. Appropriate undosed or saline inoculated controls were examined similarly and the data analysed to explore the possible occurrence of BSE-specific clinical expression in animals unconfirmed by postmortem examinations. Results Based on the display of selected behavioural, sensory and locomotor changes, 20 (67%) orally dosed and 17 (77%) intracerebrally inoculated pathologically confirmed BSE cases and 21 (13%) orally dosed and 18 (6%) intracerebrally inoculated but unconfirmed cases were considered clinical BSE suspects. None of 103 controls showed significant signs and were all negative on diagnostic postmortem examinations. Signs indicative of BSE suspects, particularly over-reactivity and ataxia, were more frequently displayed in confirmed cases with vacuolar changes in the brain. The display of several BSE-associated signs over time, including repeated startle responses and nervousness, was significantly more frequent in confirmed BSE cases compared to controls, but these two signs were also significantly more frequent in orally dosed cattle unconfirmed by postmortem examinations. Conclusions The findings confirm that in experimentally infected cattle clinical abnormalities indicative of BSE are accompanied by vacuolar changes and PrPd accumulation in the brainstem. The presence of more frequently expressed signs in cases with vacuolar changes is consistent with this pathology representing a more advanced stage of disease. That BSE-like signs or sign combinations occur in inoculated animals that were not confirmed as BSE cases by postmortem examinations requires further study to investigate the potential causal relationship with prion disease. PMID:21143919

Portraying the Dead.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruby, Jay

1989-01-01

Explores custom of post-mortem photography. Describes practice of post-mortem photography in 19th century America and traces changes in post-mortem photography in the 20th century. Discusses value of photographs in mourning process and suggests more thorough examination of the place of death-related photographs in grief management. (Author/NB)

Cystic echinococcosis due to Echinococcus equinus in a horse from southern Germany.

PubMed

Blutke, Andreas; Hamel, Dietmar; Hüttner, Marion; Gehlen, Heidrun; Romig, Thomas; Pfister, Kurt; Hermanns, Walter

2010-05-01

In Europe, cystic echinococcosis is rare in horses and is mostly diagnosed at slaughter or postmortem examination. Equine cystic echinococcosis can be caused by various Echinococcus taxa, but only Echinococcus equinus (the "horse strain") is known to produce fertile cysts. In Europe, E. equinus appears to be endemic in Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, and Italy and has sporadically been reported in Belgium and Switzerland. The present report describes the first case of a molecularly confirmed E. equinus infection in a horse foaled and raised in Germany. The 19-year-old mare was presented for examination of inappetence, emaciation, and respiratory symptoms. X-ray radiographs of the thorax showed 2 well-circumscribed tumor-like masses, each approximately 10 cm in diameter in the caudal lung field. The horse was euthanized as its condition rapidly deteriorated. Necropsy revealed 2 thick-walled hydatid cysts, each 7-8 cm in diameter in the lung. The tri-layered cyst walls consisted of an outer adventitial layer, a laminated acellular intermediate layer, and an inner germinal membrane. Grossly, the cysts contained a clear, amber liquid with hydatid sand. Light microscopy of the hydatid sand revealed free protoscoleces, intact and ruptured brood capsules, calcareous corpuscles, and debris. Samples of protoscoleces underwent molecular characterization, and the diagnosis of E. equinus was confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis of the complete mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene.

42 CFR 35.16 - Autopsies and other post-mortem operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Autopsies and other post-mortem operations. 35.16 Section 35.16 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General § 35.16 Autopsies and other post-mortem...

42 CFR 35.16 - Autopsies and other post-mortem operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Autopsies and other post-mortem operations. 35.16 Section 35.16 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General § 35.16 Autopsies and other post-mortem...

42 CFR 35.16 - Autopsies and other post-mortem operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Autopsies and other post-mortem operations. 35.16 Section 35.16 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General § 35.16 Autopsies and other post-mortem...

42 CFR 35.16 - Autopsies and other post-mortem operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Autopsies and other post-mortem operations. 35.16 Section 35.16 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General § 35.16 Autopsies and other post-mortem...

42 CFR 35.16 - Autopsies and other post-mortem operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Autopsies and other post-mortem operations. 35.16 Section 35.16 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAL CARE AND EXAMINATIONS HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT General § 35.16 Autopsies and other post-mortem...

[Determination of death and post-mortem examination on the high seas].

PubMed

Buschmann, Claas T; Tsokos, Michael

2009-01-01

Usually death has to be determined by a physician. Deaths on board of ocean-going vessels confront the crew with special challenges, as on the high seas--especially in the container and cargo ship business--often no physician will be available and death has to be determined by medical laymen such as the captain or the medical officer. To document the determination of death, a "Provisional Certificate of Death on the High Seas" is presented. Moreover, an algorithm "Provisional Post-Mortem Examination on the High Seas" is presented to document the results and the practical performance of the external post-mortem examination by medical laymen on a ship. With the help of concrete procedural instructions medical laymen on board of sea-going vessels are to be enabled to determine the death of a human being beyond doubt, to perform a preliminary external post-mortem examination and to store the corpse according to forensic requirements until the ship reaches a port and the body is delivered to the harbour physician.

Association between diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism or hyperadrenocorticism, and atherosclerosis in dogs.

PubMed

Hess, Rebecka S; Kass, Philip H; Van Winkle, Thomas J

2003-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether dogs with atherosclerosis are more likely to have concurrent diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, or hyperadrenocorticism than dogs that do not have atherosclerosis. A retrospective mortality prevalence case-control study was performed. The study group included 30 dogs with histopathological evidence of atherosclerosis. The control group included 142 dogs with results of a complete postmortem examination, a final postmortem examination diagnosis of neoplasia, and no histopathological evidence of atherosclerosis. Control dogs were frequency matched for age and year in which the postmortem examination was performed. Proportionate changes in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, and hyperadrenocorticism were calculated by exact prevalence odds ratios (POR), 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and P values. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the combined effects of prevalence determinants while controlling for age and year of postmortem examination. Dogs with atherosclerosis were over 53 times more likely to have concurrent diabetes mellitus than dogs without atherosclerosis (POR = 53.6; 95% CI, 4.6-627.5; P = .002) and over 51 times more likely to have concurrent hypothyroidism than dogs without atherosclerosis (POR = 51.1; 95% CI, 14.5-180.1; P < .001). Dogs with atherosclerosis were not found to be more likely to have concurrent hyperadrenocorticism than dogs that did not have atherosclerosis (POR = 1.8; 95% CI, 0.2-17.6; P = .59). Diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism, but not hyperadrenocorticism, are more prevalent in dogs with atherosclerosis compared to dogs without atherosclerosis on postmortem examination.

[Three good reasons to perform a postmortem examination in all cases of juvenile sudden death].

PubMed

d'Amati, Giulia; di Gioia, Cira R T; Silenzi, Paola F; Gallo, Pietro

2009-04-01

The aim of this review is to underline the reasons why a post-mortem examination has to be performed in all cases of juvenile sudden death. Sudden death in children and young adults can be caused by potentially heritable cardiovascular disorders and fatal outcome is often the first symptom in apparently healthy subjects. In these cases, a careful autopsy, performed according to a standardized protocol, becomes the sole diagnostic tool to guide clinical and molecular genetic family screening and to adopt the proper therapeutic and preventive strategies. Thus, a post-mortem examination is a fundamental part of a multidisciplinary approach to the issue of juvenile sudden death.

Postmortem CT Angiography Compared with Autopsy: A Forensic Multicenter Study.

PubMed

Grabherr, Silke; Heinemann, Axel; Vogel, Hermann; Rutty, Guy; Morgan, Bruno; Woźniak, Krzysztof; Dedouit, Fabrice; Fischer, Florian; Lochner, Stefanie; Wittig, Holger; Guglielmi, Giuseppe; Eplinius, Franziska; Michaud, Katarzyna; Palmiere, Cristian; Chevallier, Christine; Mangin, Patrice; Grimm, Jochen M

2018-05-01

Purpose To determine if postmortem computed tomography (CT) and postmortem CT angiography help to detect more lesions than autopsy in postmortem examinations, to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each method, and to define their indications. Materials and Methods Postmortem CT angiography was performed on 500 human corpses and followed by conventional autopsy. Nine centers were involved. All CT images were read by an experienced team including one forensic pathologist and one radiologist, blinded to the autopsy results. All findings were recorded for each method and categorized by anatomic structure (bone, organ parenchyma, soft tissue, and vascular) and relative importance in the forensic case (essential, useful, and unimportant). Results Among 18 654 findings, autopsies helped to identify 61.3% (11 433 of 18 654), postmortem CT helped to identify 76.0% (14 179 of 18 654), and postmortem CT angiography helped to identify 89.9% (16 780 of 18 654; P < .001). Postmortem CT angiography was superior to autopsy, especially at helping to identify essential skeletal lesions (96.1% [625 of 650] vs 65.4% [425 of 650], respectively; P < .001) and vascular lesions (93.5% [938 of 1003] vs 65.3% [655 of 1003], respectively; P < .001). Among the forensically essential findings, 23.4% (1029 of 4393) were not detected at autopsy, while only 9.7% (428 of 4393) were missed at postmortem CT angiography (P < .001). The best results were obtained when postmortem CT angiography was combined with autopsy. Conclusion Postmortem CT and postmortem CT angiography and autopsy each detect important lesions not detected by the other method. More lesions were identified by combining postmortem CT angiography and autopsy, which may increase the quality of postmortem diagnosis. Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Nonsense variant in COL7A1 causes recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa in Central Asian Shepherd dogs.

PubMed

Niskanen, Julia; Dillard, Kati; Arumilli, Meharji; Salmela, Elina; Anttila, Marjukka; Lohi, Hannes; Hytönen, Marjo K

2017-01-01

A rare hereditary mechanobullous disorder called epidermolysis bullosa (EB) causes blistering in the skin and the mucosal membranes. To date, nineteen EB-related genes have been discovered in human and other species. We describe here a novel EB variant in dogs. Two newborn littermates of Central Asian Shepherd dogs with severe signs of skin blistering were brought to a veterinary clinic and euthanized due to poor prognosis. In post-mortem examination, the puppies were shown to have findings in the skin and the mucosal membranes characteristic of EB. A whole-genome sequencing of one of the affected puppies was performed to identify the genetic cause. The resequencing data were filtered under a recessive model against variants from 31 other dog genomes, revealing a homozygous case-specific nonsense variant in one of the known EB-causing genes, COL7A1 (c.4579C>T, p.R1527*). The variant results in a premature stop codon and likely absence of the functional protein in the basement membrane of the skin in the affected dogs. This was confirmed by immunohistochemistry using a COL7A1 antibody. Additional screening of the variant indicated full penetrance and breed specificity at ~28% carrier frequency. In summary, this study reveals a novel COL7A1 variant causing recessive dystrophic EB and provides a genetic test for the eradication of the disease from the breed.

Ultrasonographic and clinicopathologic features of segmental dilatations of the common bile duct in four cats

PubMed Central

Spain, Heather N; Penninck, Dominique G; Webster, Cynthia RL; Daure, Evence; Jennings, Samuel H

2017-01-01

Case series summary This case series documents ultrasonographic and clinicopathologic features of four cats with marked segmental dilatations of the common bile duct (CBD). All cats had additional ultrasonographic changes to the hepatobiliary system, including hepatomegaly, tubular to saccular intra/extrahepatic biliary duct dilatation and biliary debris accumulation. Based on all available data the presence of extrahepatic biliary duct obstruction (EHBDO) was ruled out in 3/4 cases and was equivocal in one case. One cat underwent re-routing surgery to address the CBD dilatation after multiple recurrent infections, one cat was euthanized and had a post-mortem examination and two cats were medically managed with antibiotics, liver protectants, gastroprotectants and cholerectics. Relevance and novel information The ultrasonographic features of the CBD in this population of cats were supportive of choledochal cysts (CCs). The maximal diameter of the CBD dilatations exceeded 5 mm in all cases, a sign that has been previously reported to be consistent with EHBDO. In our study, dilatations were segmental rather than diffuse. Given the high morbidity and mortality associated with hepatobiliary surgery in cats, segmental dilatation of the CBD should not prompt emergency surgery. Some cats may respond to medical management. Careful planning for cyst resection was beneficial in one cat. Evaluation of CC morphology (eg, size, location, concurrent intrahepatic anomalies) may assist in selecting cats that could benefit from surgical intervention. PMID:28680700

ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence in epileptogenic tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleen, Jonathan K.; Valdes, Pablo A.; Harris, Brent T.; Holmes, Gregory L.; Paulsen, Keith D.; Roberts, David W.

2011-03-01

Astrogliotic tissue displays markedly increased levels of ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence, making it useful for fluorescence-guided resection in glioma surgery. In patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and corresponding animal models, there are areas of astrogliosis that often co-localize with the epileptic focus, which can be resected to eliminate seizures in the majority of treated patients. If this epileptogenic tissue can exhibit PpIX fluorescence that is sufficiently localized, it could potentially help identify margins in epilepsy surgery. We tested the hypothesis that ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence could visually accentuate epileptogenic tissue, using an established animal model of chronic TLE. An acute dose of pilocarpine was used to induce chronic seizure activity in a rat. This rat and a normal control were given ALA, euthanized, and brains examined post-mortem for PpIX fluorescence and neuropathology. Preliminary evidence indicates increased PpIX fluorescence in areas associated with chronic epileptic changes and seizure generation in TLE, including the hippocampus and parahippocampal areas. In addition, strong PpIX fluorescence was clearly observed in layer II of the piriform cortex, a region known for epileptic reorganization and involvement in the generation of seizures in animal studies. We are further investigating whether ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence can consistently identify epileptogenic zones, which could warrant the extension of this technique to clinical studies for use as an adjuvant guidance technology in the resection of epileptic tissue.

Postmortem eyefluid analysis in dogs, cats and cattle as an estimate of antemortem serum chemistry profiles.

PubMed Central

Hanna, P E; Bellamy, J E; Donald, A

1990-01-01

This study was carried out to determine the diagnostic usefulness of postmortem eyefluid analysis in estimating antemortem concentrations of serochemical constituents. A total of 31 cattle, 18 dogs and 22 cats were selected from routine elective euthanasia submissions to a diagnostic laboratory. For all cases, a biochemical profile, including determinations for electrolytes, glucose, urea, creatinine, enzymes, cholesterol, bilirubin, protein and osmolality was performed on antemortem serum, and postmortem aqueous and vitreous humors at 0 and 24 h incubation periods. The association between serum and postmortem eyefluid chemistry values was examined using simple linear regression. A strong correlation between serum and postmortem eyefluid urea and creatinine concentrations was demonstrated in the three species examined over a 24 h postmortem interval. We concluded that an accurate estimate of antemortem serum urea or creatinine can be made from the analysis of aqueous or vitreous fluid at necropsy. An estimation of antemortem serum electrolytes (including calcium in cattle) cannot be made with a high degree of accuracy due to the amount of variability in the relationship between serum and eyefluid electrolyte values. For large molecules such as proteins, enzymes, cholesterol and bilirubin there was very poor correlation between serum and eyefluid values. PMID:2249181

The role of post-mortem investigations in determining the cause of sudden unexpected death in infancy.

PubMed

Weber, M A; Ashworth, M T; Risdon, R A; Hartley, J C; Malone, M; Sebire, N J

2008-12-01

Several autopsy protocols have been suggested for investigating sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI). The aim of this study is to provide data on the utility of such post-mortem investigations from a large paediatric autopsy series to inform future policy. Retrospective analysis of >1500 consecutive post-mortem examinations carried out by specialist paediatric pathologists at a single centre during a 10-year period according to a common autopsy protocol that included the use of detailed ancillary investigations. SUDI was defined as the sudden unexpected death of an infant aged from 7 to 365 days. All data capture and cause of death classification were carried out according to defined criteria. Of 1516 paediatric post-mortem examinations, 546 presented as SUDI. In 202 infants (37%), death was explained by the autopsy findings. The other 344 cases (63%) remained unexplained. Of the explained deaths, over half (58%) were infective, most commonly due to pneumonia (22%). The component of the post-mortem examination that primarily determined the final cause of death was histological examination in 92 infants (46%), macroscopic examination in 61 (30%), microbiological investigations in 38 (19%) and clinical history in 10 (5%). This constitutes the largest single-institution autopsy study of SUDI. Ten years on from the Confidential Enquiry into Stillbirths and Deaths in Infancy (CESDI) SUDI studies, the ascertainment of a cause of death at autopsy has improved. However, with almost two thirds of SUDI remaining unexplained, alternative and/or additional diagnostic techniques are required to improve detection rates of identifiable causes of death at autopsy.

Genitourinary and pulmonary multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

PubMed

Dumonceaux, Genevieve A; St Leger, Judy; Olsen, John H; Burton, Michael S; Ashkin, David; Maslow, Joel N

2011-12-01

A female Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) developed vaginal and trunk discharge. Cultures were positive for pan-susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Isoniazid and pyrazinamide were given rectally and monitored by serum levels. After being trained at 10 mo to accept oral dosing, treatment was changed and rifampin was added. Oral medications were administered for another 10 mo. A year after completion of therapy, the vaginal discharge increased and cultures yielded M. tuberculosis, resistant to isoniazid and rifampin. Treatment with oral ethambutol, pyrazinamide, and enrofloxacin and intramuscular amikacin was initiated. Although followup cultures became negative, adverse reactions to medications precluded treatment completion. Due to public health concerns related to multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis (MDR-TB), the elephant was euthanized. Postmortem smears from the lung, peribronchial, and abdominal lymph nodes yielded acid-fast bacteria, although cultures were negative. This case highlights important considerations in the treatment of M. tuberculosis in animals and the need for a consistent approach to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.

Cryptococcus gattii infection in a Spanish pet ferret (Mustela putorius furo) and asymptomatic carriage in ferrets and humans from its environment.

PubMed

Morera, Neus; Juan-Sallés, Carles; Torres, Josep M; Andreu, Mariano; Sánchez, Manuel; Zamora, María Ángeles; Colom, M Francisca

2011-10-01

A domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was presented with lymphadenopathy and acute bilateral blindness. Cytologic evaluation and biopsy of an affected lymph node revealed pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis with intralesional yeast consistent with Cryptococcus sp. Subsequent studies demonstrated Cryptococcus gattii serotype B VGI/AFLP4 as the causative agent. The ferret was treated with fluconazole and prednisone. After one month of therapy, an improvement of the clinical symptoms was detected although blindness persisted. Seven months after presentation, the disease progressed to a severe neurologic condition, and it was euthanized. Postmortem exam revealed disseminated cryptococcosis with prominent neurologic involvement. Nasal swabs of other ferrets and humans from the same household revealed that two ferrets and two humans to be asymptomatic carriers of the same strain of cryptococcus as the necropsied ferret. These findings stress the importance of veterinary diagnostic work with pets and epidemiological investigations for disease prevention in them and in their owners.

Disseminated coccidioidomycosis in a captive Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) with chronic renal disease.

PubMed

Helmick, Kelly E; Koplos, Peter; Raymond, James

2006-12-01

A 19-yr-old, 78.2-kg captive female Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) from the El Paso Zoo (El Paso, Texas, USA) with chronic renal disease was euthanized after a 10-day course of anorexia, depression, progressive rear limb weakness, muscle fasciculations, and head tremors. Postmortem findings included pericardial effusion, generalized lymphadenopathy, glomerulosclerosis, glomerular atrophy with membranous glomerulonephropathy, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Pyogranulomatous pneumonia, pericarditis, and lymphadenitis were associated with fungal spherules histomorphologically consistent with Coccidioides immitis. Rising antibodies to C. immitis were detected on samples obtained perimortem and 2 mo before euthanasia. Retrospective serology was negative for two additional Indochinese tigers, two Iranian leopards (Panthera pardus saxicolor), two jaguars (Panthera onca), two bobcats (Lynx rufus texensis), two ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), and three Amur leopards (Panthera pardus orientalis) housed at the zoo over an 8-yr period. Despite being located within the endemic region for C. immitis, this is only the second case of coccidioidomycosis reported from this institution.

Investigation for methods of anesthesia and euthanasia for rat fetuses in developmental toxicity studies.

PubMed

Kato, Hirohito; Dokai, Momoko; Katagiri, Ryuichi; Arima, Akihiro; Ooshima, Yojiro

2013-03-01

Japan Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine (JALAM) recommends humane handling of rat fetuses. However, it is a challenge to accept proposed euthanizing methods such as cervical dislocation, decapitation and/or intracardiac injection of potassium chloride, because these methods would damage fetal specimens for skeletal and visceral examinations in developmental toxicity studies. The present study aimed at seeking better methodologies for fetal euthanasia and anesthesia. We were unable to accomplish fetal euthanasia directly, but instead, we could euthanize fetuses under pain-controlled anesthesia. It is recommended that hypothermia by immersion in cold physiological saline is an appropriate method for anesthesia. Moreover, we recommend that the anesthetized fetuses should be euthanized immediately by removal of the vital organs or immersion in appropriate fixatives. © 2012 The Authors. Congenital Anomalies © 2012 Japanese Teratology Society.

Reliability of postmortem fentanyl concentrations in determining the cause of death.

PubMed

Gill, James R; Lin, Peter T; Nelson, Lewis

2013-03-01

Transdermal fentanyl, an opioid used for management of marked pain, also is abused and may cause death. We reviewed medical examiner reports of 92 decedents who had one or more fentanyl transdermal patches on their body and had fentanyl detected in their postmortem toxicology analysis. The manners of death included 40 accidents, 36 natural, 8 suicides, 5 therapeutic complications, and 3 undetermined deaths. Among the accidental fentanyl intoxication deaths, 32 of 37 involved substance abuse. The majority (95 %) of the 37 accidental deaths involving fentanyl were multi-drug intoxications. The substance abuse deaths had a mean fentanyl blood concentration (26.4 ng/ml or μg/L) that was over twice that of the natural group (11.8 ng/ml). Our analysis suggests a relationship between total patch dosage and mean postmortem fentanyl concentration up to the 100-μg/h dose. The very wide and overlapping ranges of postmortem fentanyl concentrations effectively nullify the utility of correlating the dose and expected postmortem concentration for any particular death. Based on the variable relationship between dose and blood concentration, the antemortem dose cannot be reliably predicted based on the postmortem concentration. This does not, however, render the medical examiner/coroner unable to determine the cause and manner of death because the toxicology results are only one datum point among several that are considered. Although there was a weakly positive relationship between body mass index and fentanyl concentration, further research is needed to determine whether adipose tissue represents a significant depot for postmortem release of fentanyl.

Pericardial fluid is suitable as an alternative specimen for the measurement of β-hydroxybutyrate within 96 h after death.

PubMed

Mizutani, Tatsushi; Yoshimoto, Takashi; Ishii, Akira

2018-05-21

We examined postmortem β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) levels in the body fluids obtained from 253 forensic autopsy cases whose causes of death were determined. Postmortem changes of BHB levels according to postmortem intervals (PMI) in various body fluids (plasma, urine, vitreous humor, and pericardial fluids) were investigated to determine appropriate alternative specimens as plasma samples. Our study has indicated the following points: 1) the BHB levels in plasma specimens from three sampling sites showed no significant differences, 2) postmortem changes of BHB levels in plasma and pericardial fluids could be negligible within 96 h PMI, while urine and vitreous humor BHB levels showed postmortem changes, and 3) pericardial fluid would thus be most suitable as an alternative to plasma in postmortem BHB level. We have also proposed that BHB levels could be applicable for the diagnosis of metabolic disorders in forensic autopsy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

OSTEOCHONDROSIS IN THE DISTAL FEMURS OF AN ADULT RETICULATED GIRAFFE (GIRAFFA CAMELOPARDALIS RETICULATA): MACROSCOPIC, RADIOLOGIC, AND HISTOLOGIC FINDINGS.

PubMed

Basu, Christopher; Stoll, Alexander L; Dixon, Jonathon; Molenaar, Fieke Marije; Flach, Edmund; Smith, Ken C

2016-03-01

An adult male reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) was presented for postmortem examination. During radiologic examination of the hindlimbs, osseous cyst-like lesions were detected in both medial femoral condyles. These lesions were subsequently examined macroscopically and histologically. The gross appearance suggested a diagnosis of bilateral osteochondrosis that was confirmed with histopathologic examination. This finding has not previously been reported in giraffes. Macroscopic visualization of the major limb joints, including the femorotibial joints, is therefore encouraged in future postmortem examinations of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis), and further assessment of clinical significance is required.

Postmortem computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging facilitates forensic autopsy in a fatal case of poisoning with formic acid, diphenhydramine, and ethanol.

PubMed

Berger, Florian; Steuer, Andrea E; Rentsch, Katharina; Gascho, Dominic; Stamou, Stamatios; Schärli, Sarah; Thali, Michael J; Krämer, Thomas; Flach, Patricia M

2016-09-01

A case of fatal poisoning by ingesting formic acid, diphenhydramine, and ethanol by a 25-year-old woman who committed suicide is presented. Prior to autopsy, postmortem computed tomography and postmortem magnetic resonance tomography were performed and revealed severe damage to the stomach, the left thoracic wall, and parts of the liver. Imaging detected acid-induced fluid-fluid level within the thoracic cavity (fat-equivalent fluid and necrotic pleural effusion). This case report illustrates that postmortem cross-sectional imaging may facilitate dissection of severely damaged or complex regions, and may provide additional information compared to autopsy and toxicological examinations alone.

Perinatal postmortems: what is important to parents and how do they decide?

PubMed

Breeze, Andrew C G; Statham, Helen; Hackett, Gerald A; Jessop, Flora A; Lees, Christoph C

2012-03-01

Falling consent rates for postmortems, regardless of age of death, have been widely reported in recent years. The aim of this study was to explore parental attitudes to, and decision-making about, a perinatal postmortem after termination for fetal abnormality, late miscarriage, or stillbirth. A prospective self-completion questionnaire was given to 35 women and their partners. The participants had experienced second or third trimester pregnancy loss in a single fetal medicine and delivery unit in the United Kingdom and were making decisions about having a postmortem. They were asked to complete a questionnaire about their attitudes to, and expectations of, a perinatal postmortem. Thirty-one questionnaires were received from parents of 17 babies (49% of those asked; 16 from mothers, 15 from fathers). Parents of nine babies (53%) said they would agree to a full postmortem, of three babies to a limited postmortem, and of four babies to an external examination only; one couple were undecided. The most important issues for the parents in this study that related to their decisions about a postmortem centered on the need for information, both for future planning and about what had happened. Moderately important issues related to altruism, which is, improving medical knowledge and helping other parents experiencing similar bereavement. Among the lowest scoring issues were potential barriers, such as concerns about cultural or religious acceptability of a postmortem, funeral delays, and what would happen to the baby's body. Bereaved parents who participated in this study, where postmortem consent rates were relatively high, thought that their need for knowledge eclipsed assumed barriers when deciding whether or not to have a postmortem for their baby. © 2012, Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2012, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Virtopsy: postmortem imaging of laryngeal foreign bodies.

PubMed

Oesterhelweg, Lars; Bolliger, Stephan A; Thali, Michael J; Ross, Steffen

2009-05-01

Death from corpora aliena in the larynx is a well-known entity in forensic pathology. The correct diagnosis of this cause of death is difficult without an autopsy, and misdiagnoses by external examination alone are common. To determine the postmortem usefulness of modern imaging techniques in the diagnosis of foreign bodies in the larynx, multislice computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and postmortem full-body computed tomography-angiography were performed. Three decedents with a suspected foreign body in the larynx underwent the 3 different imaging techniques before medicolegal autopsy. Multislice computed tomography has a high diagnostic value in the noninvasive localization of a foreign body and abnormalities in the larynx. The differentiation between neoplasm or soft foreign bodies (eg, food) is possible, but difficult, by unenhanced multislice computed tomography. By magnetic resonance imaging, the discrimination of the soft tissue structures and soft foreign bodies is much easier. In addition to the postmortem multislice computed tomography, the combination with postmortem angiography will increase the diagnostic value. Postmortem, cross-sectional imaging methods are highly valuable procedures for the noninvasive detection of corpora aliena in the larynx.

Google Glass for Documentation of Medical Findings: Evaluation in Forensic Medicine

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Google Glass is a promising premarket device that includes an optical head-mounted display. Several proof of concept reports exist, but there is little scientific evidence regarding its use in a medical setting. Objective The objective of this study was to empirically determine the feasibility of deploying Glass in a forensics setting. Methods Glass was used in combination with a self-developed app that allowed for hands-free operation during autopsy and postmortem examinations of 4 decedents performed by 2 physicians. A digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera was used for image comparison. In addition, 6 forensic examiners (3 male, 3 female; age range 23-48 years, age mean 32.8 years, SD 9.6; mean work experience 6.2 years, SD 8.5) were asked to evaluate 159 images for image quality on a 5-point Likert scale, specifically color discrimination, brightness, sharpness, and their satisfaction with the acquired region of interest. Statistical evaluations were performed to determine how Glass compares with conventionally acquired digital images. Results All images received good (median 4) and very good ratings (median 5) for all 4 categories. Autopsy images taken by Glass (n=32) received significantly lower ratings than those acquired by DSLR camera (n=17) (region of interest: z=–5.154, P<.001; sharpness: z=–7.898, P<.001; color: z=–4.407, P<.001, brightness: z=–3.187, P=.001). For 110 images of postmortem examinations (Glass: n=54, DSLR camera: n=56), ratings for region of interest (z=–8.390, P<.001) and brightness (z=–540, P=.007) were significantly lower. For interrater reliability, intraclass correlation (ICC) values were good for autopsy (ICC=.723, 95% CI .667-.771, P<.001) and postmortem examination (ICC=.758, 95% CI .727-.787, P<.001). Postmortem examinations performed using Glass took 42.6 seconds longer than those done with the DSLR camera (z=–2.100, P=.04 using Wilcoxon signed rank test). The battery charge of Glass quickly decreased; an average 5.5% (SD 1.85) of its battery capacity was spent per postmortem examination (0.81% per minute or 0.79% per picture). Conclusions Glass was efficient for acquiring images for documentation in forensic medicine, but the image quality was inferior compared to a DSLR camera. Images taken with Glass received significantly lower ratings for all 4 categories in an autopsy setting and for region of interest and brightness in postmortem examination. The effort necessary for achieving the objectives was higher when using the device compared to the DSLR camera thus extending the postmortem examination duration. Its relative high power consumption and low battery capacity is also a disadvantage. At the current stage of development, Glass may be an adequate tool for education. For deployment in clinical care, issues such as hygiene, data protection, and privacy need to be addressed and are currently limiting chances for professional use. PMID:24521935

Google Glass for documentation of medical findings: evaluation in forensic medicine.

PubMed

Albrecht, Urs-Vito; von Jan, Ute; Kuebler, Joachim; Zoeller, Christoph; Lacher, Martin; Muensterer, Oliver J; Ettinger, Max; Klintschar, Michael; Hagemeier, Lars

2014-02-12

Google Glass is a promising premarket device that includes an optical head-mounted display. Several proof of concept reports exist, but there is little scientific evidence regarding its use in a medical setting. The objective of this study was to empirically determine the feasibility of deploying Glass in a forensics setting. Glass was used in combination with a self-developed app that allowed for hands-free operation during autopsy and postmortem examinations of 4 decedents performed by 2 physicians. A digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera was used for image comparison. In addition, 6 forensic examiners (3 male, 3 female; age range 23-48 years, age mean 32.8 years, SD 9.6; mean work experience 6.2 years, SD 8.5) were asked to evaluate 159 images for image quality on a 5-point Likert scale, specifically color discrimination, brightness, sharpness, and their satisfaction with the acquired region of interest. Statistical evaluations were performed to determine how Glass compares with conventionally acquired digital images. All images received good (median 4) and very good ratings (median 5) for all 4 categories. Autopsy images taken by Glass (n=32) received significantly lower ratings than those acquired by DSLR camera (n=17) (region of interest: z=-5.154, P<.001; sharpness: z=-7.898, P<.001; color: z=-4.407, P<.001, brightness: z=-3.187, P=.001). For 110 images of postmortem examinations (Glass: n=54, DSLR camera: n=56), ratings for region of interest (z=-8.390, P<.001) and brightness (z=-540, P=.007) were significantly lower. For interrater reliability, intraclass correlation (ICC) values were good for autopsy (ICC=.723, 95% CI .667-.771, P<.001) and postmortem examination (ICC=.758, 95% CI .727-.787, P<.001). Postmortem examinations performed using Glass took 42.6 seconds longer than those done with the DSLR camera (z=-2.100, P=.04 using Wilcoxon signed rank test). The battery charge of Glass quickly decreased; an average 5.5% (SD 1.85) of its battery capacity was spent per postmortem examination (0.81% per minute or 0.79% per picture). Glass was efficient for acquiring images for documentation in forensic medicine, but the image quality was inferior compared to a DSLR camera. Images taken with Glass received significantly lower ratings for all 4 categories in an autopsy setting and for region of interest and brightness in postmortem examination. The effort necessary for achieving the objectives was higher when using the device compared to the DSLR camera thus extending the postmortem examination duration. Its relative high power consumption and low battery capacity is also a disadvantage. At the current stage of development, Glass may be an adequate tool for education. For deployment in clinical care, issues such as hygiene, data protection, and privacy need to be addressed and are currently limiting chances for professional use.

Postmortem audit in a paediatric cardiology unit.

PubMed Central

Russell, G A; Berry, P J

1989-01-01

Postmortem examinations performed on 76 children with a clinical diagnosis of congenital heart disease were reviewed retrospectively and compared with the findings before death. Both operated and unoperated cases were studied over a three year period. Despite intensive investigation during life, there was a high rate of unsuspected abnormalities at necropsy (80%): 29 cases had undiagnosed additional cardiac anomalies or surgical flaws, which contributed to death in 13 cases. Defects in surgery were uncommon but permitted modification in surgical technique to avoid recurrence. Myocardial necrosis and pulmonary foreign body embolism were common findings, the importance of which is uncertain and requires further study for their prevention. Even in the most thoroughly investigated cases postmortem examination has a high yield of clinically important pathology which is undetected during life. Images PMID:2794078

Amyloid associated with elastin-staining laminar aggregates in the lungs of patients diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome

PubMed Central

Fan, Kang; Nagle, William A

2002-01-01

Background The heterogeneity of conditions underlying respiratory distress, whether classified clinically as acute lung injury (ALI) or the more severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), has hampered efforts to identify and more successfully treat these patients. Examination of postmortem lungs among cases clinically diagnosed as ARDS identified a cohort that showed a consistent morphology at the light and electron microscope levels, and featured pathognomonic structures which we termed elastin-staining laminar structures (ELS). Methods Postmortem tissues were stained using the Verhoeff-Van Gieson procedure for elastic fibers, and with Congo red for examination under a polarizing microscope. Similar samples were examined by transmission EM. Results The pathognomonic ELS presented as ordered molecular aggregates when stained using the Verhoeff-van Gieson technique for elastic fibers. In several postmortem lungs, the ELS also displayed apple-green birefringence after staining with Congo red, suggesting the presence of amyloid. Remarkably, most of the postmortem lungs with ELS exhibited no significant acute inflammatory cellular response such as neutrophilic reaction, and little evidence of widespread edema except for focal intra-alveolar hemorrhage. Conclusions Postmortem lungs that exhibit the ELS constitute a morphologically-identifiable subgroup of ARDS cases. The ordered nature of the ELS, as indicated by both elastin and amyloid stains, together with little morphological evidence of inflammation or edema, suggests that this cohort of ARDS may represent another form of conformational disease. If this hypothesis is confirmed, it will require a new approach in the diagnosis and treatment of patients who exhibit this form of acute lung injury. PMID:12377106

Perinatal Mortality Associated with Positive Postmortem Cultures for Common Oral Flora.

PubMed

He, Mai; Migliori, Alison R; Lauro, Patricia; Sung, C James; Pinar, Halit

2017-01-01

Introduction . To investigate whether maternal oral flora might be involved in intrauterine infection and subsequent stillbirth or neonatal death and could therefore be detected in fetal and neonatal postmortem bacterial cultures. Methods . This retrospective study of postmortem examinations from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2010 was searched for bacterial cultures positive for common oral flora from heart blood or lung tissue. Maternal age, gestational age, age at neonatal death, and placental and fetal/neonatal histopathological findings were collected. Results . During the study period 1197 postmortem examinations (861 stillbirths and 336 neonatal deaths) were performed in our hospital with gestational ages ranging from 13 to 40+ weeks. Cultures positive for oral flora were identified in 24 autopsies including 20 pure and 8 mixed growths (26/227, 11.5%), found in 16 stillbirths and 8 neonates. Microscopic examinations of these 16 stillbirths revealed 8 with features of infection and inflammation in fetus and placenta. The 7 neonatal deaths within 72 hours after birth grew 6 pure isolates and 1 mixed, and 6 correlated with fetal and placental inflammation. Conclusions . Pure isolates of oral flora with histological evidence of inflammation/infection in the placenta and fetus or infant suggest a strong association between maternal periodontal conditions and perinatal death.

Measurement of Postmortem Pupil Size: A New Method with Excellent Reliability and Its Application to Pupil Changes in the Early Postmortem Period.

PubMed

Fleischer, Luise; Sehner, Susanne; Gehl, Axel; Riemer, Martin; Raupach, Tobias; Anders, Sven

2017-05-01

Measurement of postmortem pupil width is a potential component of death time estimation. However, no standardized measurement method has been described. We analyzed a total of 71 digital images for pupil-iris ratio using the software ImageJ. Images were analyzed three times by four different examiners. In addition, serial images from 10 cases were taken between 2 and 50 h postmortem to detect spontaneous pupil changes. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of the method was excellent (ICC > 0.95). The method is observer independent and yields consistent results, and images can be digitally stored and re-evaluated. The method seems highly eligible for forensic and scientific purposes. While statistical analysis of spontaneous pupil changes revealed a significant polynomial of quartic degree for postmortem time (p = 0.001), an obvious pattern was not detected. These results do not indicate suitability of spontaneous pupil changes for forensic death time estimation, as formerly suggested. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Risk of Mycoplasma bovis transmission from contaminated sand bedding to naive dairy calves.

PubMed

Wilson, D J; Justice-Allen, A; Goodell, G; Baldwin, T J; Skirpstunas, R T; Cavender, K B

2011-03-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible transmission of Mycoplasma bovis from positive sand bedding to naïve dairy calves. Twelve preweaned Holstein bull calves were blocked in pairs and randomly assigned as unexposed controls (n=6) bedded with control sand, or exposed calves (n=6) bedded with sand previously positive for M. bovis at a dairy farm. Bedding sand was cultured weekly. Nasal and ear swabs and sera were collected weekly, tracheal swabs were collected monthly, and by the end of the 105-d study, all calves were euthanized (n=10) or died (n=2). Sera were tested for M. bovis-specific antibody. Mycoplasma spp. culture was performed on nasal and ear swabs; culture and a PCR differentiating multiple Mycoplasma spp. were performed on postmortem samples of lung, retropharyngeal lymph node, and trachea from each calf. A complete necropsy also was performed. During 6 wk, mycoplasma concentration in exposed group sand was between 200 and 32,000 cfu/g. All 166 tracheal swabs, nasal and ear swabs, and postmortem tests from all calves were negative for mycoplasma. All 94 sera were negative for M. bovis-specific antibody. No gross pathology suggestive of mycoplasma disease was detected. The probability of mycoplasma detection, if an exposed calf had become infected 4 wk after exposure, ranged between 97 and 99% depending on time of exposure for individual calves. There was no evidence that sand bedding contaminated with M. bovis might serve as a source of transmission to naïve dairy calves. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of cytokine hemoadsorption in cardiopulmonary bypass-induced ventricular dysfunction in a porcine model.

PubMed

Vocelka, Craig R; Jones, Krystal M; Mikhova, Krasimira M; Ebisu, Ryan M; Shar, Ashley; Kellum, John A; Verrier, Edward D; Rabkin, David G

2013-12-01

Little is known about the effect of cardiopulmonary bypass alone on cardiac function; in an attempt to illuminate this relationship and test a possible mechanism, we used Cytosorb, a device capable of removing virtually all types of circulating cytokines to test the hypothesis that hemoadsorption of cytokines during bypass attenuates bypass-induced acute organ dysfunction. Twelve Yorkshire pigs (50-65 kg) were instrumented with a left ventricular conductance catheter. Baseline mechanics and cytokine expression (tumor necrosis factor [TNF], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and interleukin-10) were measured before and hourly after 1 hour of normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. Animals underwent bypass without (cardiopulmonary bypass [CPB], n = 6) or with (CPB+HA, n = 6) the CytosorbTM device. Data were compared with "historical" controls (n = 6) that were similarly instrumented but underwent observation instead of bypass. Five hours after separation from bypass (or observation), animals were euthanized. Myocardial water content was determined postmortem. Neither TNF nor IL-6 was significantly elevated in either experimental group versus controls at any time point. Preload recruitable stroke work and dP/dtmax were significantly depressed immediately after separation from bypass in both CPB+HA and CPB and remained depressed for the duration of the experiment. Although Tau remained unchanged, dP/dTmin was significantly diminished in both bypass groups at all time points after separation from bypass. Cytokine hemoadsorption had no effect on any measurable index of function. Differences in postmortem data were not evident between groups. One hour of normothermic CPB results in a significant and sustained decline in left ventricular function that appears unrelated to changes in cytokine expression. Because we did not appreciate a significant change in cytokine concentrations postbypass, the capacity of cytokine hemoadsorption to attenuate CPB-induced ventricular dysfunction could not be assessed.

Ultrasound during mid-gestation: Agreement with physical foetal and placental measurements and use in predicting gestational age in sheep.

PubMed

Jones, A K; Gately, R E; McFadden, K K; Hoffman, M L; Pillai, S M; Zinn, S A; Govoni, K E; Reed, S A

2017-08-01

To determine the effects of poor maternal nutrition and litter size on foetal growth during mid-gestation, pregnant ewes (n = 82) were fed 100%, 60% or 140% of NRC TDN beginning at day 30.2 ± 0.2 of gestation. Transabdominal ultrasound was performed weekly between day 46.0 ± 0.4 and 86.0 ± 0.7 to monitor foetal heart width (HW), umbilical diameter (UMB), rib width (RW) and placentome outer (OD) and inner diameter (ID). Data were analysed with repeated-measures using the mixed procedure for effects of maternal diet, litter size and gestation, and equations predictive of gestational age were generated using the regression procedure. To determine the agreement of ultrasound measurement and actual size, ewes (n = 20-21) were euthanized at day 45 or 90 to obtain corresponding postmortem measurements for Bland-Altman analysis. The HW, UMB and placentome OD and ID increased with gestation (p < .0001) but were unaffected by maternal diet or litter size (p ≥ .12). Ultrasound underestimated postmortem measurements of HW (14.8%), UMB (7.3%), placentome OD (4.5%) and ID (37.3%) at day 90 of gestation. Ultrasound underestimated RW at day 45 (7.7%) but overestimated RW (23.8%) at day 90, indicating inconsistent bias when reporting RW by ultrasound. Combining the HW, UMB, RW and placentome OD generated the strongest equation predictive of gestational age (R 2  = .91). These findings indicate that during mid-gestation, maternal diet or litter size did not affect HW, UMB or placentome diameters and these factors can be used to estimate gestational age. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Cardiac mesenchymal progenitors from postmortem cardiac tissues retained cellular characterization.

PubMed

Kami, D; Kitani, T; Nakata, M; Gojo, S

2014-05-01

Currently, cells for transplantation in regenerative medicine are derived from either autologous or allogeneic tissue. The former has the drawbacks that the quality of donor cells may depend on the condition of the patient, while the quantity of the cells may also be limited. To solve these problems, we investigated the potential of allogeneic cardiac mesenchymal progenitors (CMPs) derived from postmortem hearts, which may be immunologically privileged similar to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal progenitors. We examined whether viable CMPs could be isolated from C57/B6 murine cardiac tissues harvested at 24 hours postmortem. After 2- to 3-week propagation with a high dose of basic fibroblast growth factor, we performed cellular characteristics analyses, which included proliferation and differentiation property flow cytometry and microarray analyses. Postmortem CMPs had a longer lag phase after seeding than CMPs obtained from living tissues, but otherwise had similar characteristics in all the analyses. In addition, global gene expression analysis by microarray showed that cells derived from postmortem and living tissues had similar characteristics. These results indicate that allogeneic postmortem CMPs have potential for cell transplantation because they circumvent the issue of both the quality and quantity of donor cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Clove Oil as a Euthanasia Agent on Blood Collection Efficiency and Serum Cortisol Levels in Danio rerio

PubMed Central

Davis, Daniel J; Klug, Jenna; Hankins, Miriam; Doerr, Holly M; Monticelli, Stephanie R; Song, Ava; Gillespie, Catherine H; Bryda, Elizabeth C

2015-01-01

Zebrafish are an important laboratory animal model for biomedical research and are increasingly being used for behavioral neuroscience. Tricaine methanesulfonate (MS222) is the standard agent used for euthanasia of zebrafish. However, recent studies of zebrafish behavior suggest that MS222 may be aversive, and clove oil might be a possible alternative. In this study, we compared the effects of MS222 or clove oil as a euthanasia agent in zebrafish on the volume of blood collected and on serum levels of cortisol. Greater amounts of serum could be collected and lower serum levels of cortisol were present in fish euthanized with clove oil compared with equipotent dose of MS222. Euthanasia with clove oil did not blunt the expected elevation of serum cortisol levels elicited by an acute premortem stress. According to our findings, clove oil is a fast-acting agent that minimizes the cortisol response to euthanasia in zebrafish and allows the collection of large volumes of blood postmortem. These results represent a significant refinement in euthanasia methods for zebrafish. PMID:26424256

Effects of Clove Oil as a Euthanasia Agent on Blood Collection Efficiency and Serum Cortisol Levels in Danio rerio.

PubMed

Davis, Daniel J; Klug, Jenna; Hankins, Miriam; Doerr, Holly M; Monticelli, Stephanie R; Song, Ava; Gillespie, Catherine H; Bryda, Elizabeth C

2015-09-01

Zebrafish are an important laboratory animal model for biomedical research and are increasingly being used for behavioral neuroscience. Tricaine methanesulfonate (MS222) is the standard agent used for euthanasia of zebrafish. However, recent studies of zebrafish behavior suggest that MS222 may be aversive, and clove oil might be a possible alternative. In this study, we compared the effects of MS222 or clove oil as a euthanasia agent in zebrafish on the volume of blood collected and on serum levels of cortisol. Greater amounts of serum could be collected and lower serum levels of cortisol were present in fish euthanized with clove oil compared with equipotent dose of MS222. Euthanasia with clove oil did not blunt the expected elevation of serum cortisol levels elicited by an acute premortem stress. According to our findings, clove oil is a fast-acting agent that minimizes the cortisol response to euthanasia in zebrafish and allows the collection of large volumes of blood postmortem. These results represent a significant refinement in euthanasia methods for zebrafish.

Combined excision and intralesional bevacizumab for sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid in an Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica).

PubMed

Edelmann, Michele L; Utter, Mary L; Klein, Lin V; Wotman, Kathryn L

2013-05-01

An 18-year-old zoo-kept female Amur tiger presented with an approximately 5 mm diameter lateral canthal eyelid mass in the left eye which grossly appeared red and irregular. The mass was completely excised via lateral canthoplasty. Histopathologic evaluation was consistent with a diagnosis of sebaceous cell carcinoma, which is a potentially aggressive cutaneous neoplasm. The sebaceous carcinoma recurred within 3 months and slowly increased in size until a second surgical excision was performed 9 months following the first surgery. The second surgical excision was combined with intralesional injection of 10 mg of the antiangiogenic drug bevacizumab. Histology confirmed the diagnosis. The tiger was euthanized 16 months postoperatively for reasons unrelated to, and without recurrence of, the eyelid neoplasm. At postmortem, no gross periocular or metastatic lesions were noted, and histopathology of the lateral canthus provided no evidence of recurrence. Surgical excision combined with intralesional bevacizumab treatment induced life-long resolution of the sebaceous carcinoma. Bevacizumab treatment may be associated with the regression of periocular angiogenic proliferative conditions, including neoplasia, by inhibiting angiogenesis. © 2012 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Postmortem Findings for 7 Neonates with Congenital Zika Virus Infection.

PubMed

Sousa, Anastácio Q; Cavalcante, Diane I M; Franco, Luciano M; Araújo, Fernanda M C; Sousa, Emília T; Valença-Junior, José Telmo; Rolim, Dionne B; Melo, Maria E L; Sindeaux, Pedro D T; Araújo, Marialva T F; Pearson, Richard D; Wilson, Mary E; Pompeu, Margarida M L

2017-07-01

Postmortem examination of 7 neonates with congenital Zika virus infection in Brazil revealed microcephaly, ventriculomegaly, dystrophic calcifications, and severe cortical neuronal depletion in all and arthrogryposis in 6. Other findings were leptomeningeal and brain parenchymal inflammation and pulmonary hypoplasia and lymphocytic infiltration in liver and lungs. Findings confirmed virus neurotropism and multiple organ infection.

Euthanasia of neonatal mice with carbon dioxide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pritchett, K.; Corrow, D.; Stockwell, J.; Smith, A.

2005-01-01

Exposure to carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prevalent method used to euthanize rodents in biomedical research. The purpose of this study was to determine the time of CO2 exposure required to euthanize neonatal mice (0 to 10 days old). Multiple groups of mice were exposed to 100% CO 2 for time periods between 5 and 60 min. Mice were placed in room air for 10 or 20 min after CO2 exposure, to allow for the chance of recovery. If mice recovered at one time point, a longer exposure was examined. Inbred and outbred mice were compared. Results of the study indicated that time to death varied with the age of the animals and could be as long as 50 min on the day of birth and differed between inbred and outbred mice. Institutions euthanizing neonatal mice with CO2 may wish to adjust their CO 2 exposure time periods according the age of the mice and their genetic background. Copyright 2005 by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science.

Blood creatinine level in postmortem cases.

PubMed

Nishida, Atsushi; Funaki, Hironao; Kobayashi, Masaki; Tanaka, Yuka; Akasaka, Yoshihisa; Kubo, Toshikazu; Ikegaya, Hiroshi

2015-05-01

Blood chemical analysis for the diagnosis of diseases in forensic cases should be conducted in the same way as for clinical cases. However, it is sometimes difficult to obtain serum samples in forensic cases because of postmortem changes such as hemolysis and putrefaction. This study aimed to evaluate renal function in postmortem cases by blood creatinine analysis. The blood creatinine level was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using whole blood samples taken from 77 postmortem cases, and the relationships between blood creatinine level, postmortem interval, and cause of death were examined. The median blood creatinine level was found to be 1.15 mg/dL, with no significant differences between blood samples taken from different parts of the body. The blood creatinine level was stable for 3 days after death and gradually increased after that period, in line with a previous study using enzymatic analysis that found the serum creatinine level was stable in the early postmortem period. The blood creatinine level was high in the cases of blunt injury, intoxication, and in deaths caused by fire. This was considered to reflect acute renal dysfunction. However, the postmortem blood creatinine level remained higher than the clinical normal value despite omitting cases with renal dysfunction from the analysis. Therefore, we next investigated the change in postmortem creatinine levels in mice and found that the blood creatinine level increased with the emergence of rigor mortis. Our findings indicate that HPLC is useful in the postmortem evaluation of renal function even in the cases where serum cannot be obtained. However, the presence of rigor mortis should be considered in the evaluation of blood creatinine values. Copyright © 2014 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differences between postmortem computed tomography and conventional autopsy in a stabbing murder case

PubMed Central

Zerbini, Talita; da Silva, Luiz Fernando Ferraz; Ferro, Antonio Carlos Gonçalves; Kay, Fernando Uliana; Junior, Edson Amaro; Pasqualucci, Carlos Augusto Gonçalves; do Nascimento Saldiva, Paulo Hilario

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present work is to analyze the differences and similarities between the elements of a conventional autopsy and images obtained from postmortem computed tomography in a case of a homicide stab wound. METHOD: Comparison between the findings of different methods: autopsy and postmortem computed tomography. RESULTS: In some aspects, autopsy is still superior to imaging, especially in relation to external examination and the description of lesion vitality. However, the findings of gas embolism, pneumothorax and pulmonary emphysema and the relationship between the internal path of the instrument of aggression and the entry wound are better demonstrated by postmortem computed tomography. CONCLUSIONS: Although multislice computed tomography has greater accuracy than autopsy, we believe that the conventional autopsy method is fundamental for providing evidence in criminal investigations. PMID:25518020

Postmortem 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the skeletal muscle: α-ATP/Pi ratio as a forensic tool?

PubMed

Schmidt, Tony M; Wang, Zhiyue J; Keller, Sarah; Heinemann, Axel; Acar, Suzan; Graessner, Joachim; Schoennagel, Bjoern P; Adam, Gerhard; Fischer, Roland; Yamamura, Jin

2014-09-01

Phosphor magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P MRS) is an established method for metabolic examinations of resting and exercising skeletal muscle. So far, there are few MRS investigations of human corpses. The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal postmortem pattern of phosphor metabolites in the adductor magnus muscle and to check the value of MRS as a forensic tool, especially for the determination of the time of death. Eight corpses, died of natural cause, were examined (5 males, 3 females; age: 73±7 y, weight 65.8±15.9 kg). A control group of 3 subjects (2 males, 1 female, mean age: 51±24 y, range: 24-69 y, mean body weight: 84.0±16.5 kg) was examined at a single time point as well. (31)P MRS was performed on a 1.5 T MRI (TR 700 ms, TE 0.35 ms, averages 256, flip angle 90°). A standard (31)P/(1)H heart/liver coil was employed (receiver coil diameter 12 cm). The (31)P MRS scans were repeated in intervals of 1 h over a period from 4.5 to 24 h postmortem (p.m.). The core temperature was rectally measured throughout the MRI examination. The mean core temperature decreased from 36.0°C to 25.7°C. In vivo and ex vivo spectra showed characteristic differences, especially the PCr metabolite was no longer detectable after 10 h p.m. The α-ATP/Pi ratio decreased with time from 0.445 to 0.032 over 24 h p.m. There is a characteristic postmortem time pattern of the phosphor metabolites. Especially the acquired α-ATP/Pi ratio could be described by a significant exponential time course (r(2)=0.92, p<0.001). (31)P MRS might be added to the postmortem imaging methods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synergistic Role of Newer Techniques for Forensic and Postmortem CT Examinations.

PubMed

Blum, Alain; Kolopp, Martin; Teixeira, Pedro Gondim; Stroud, Tyler; Noirtin, Philippe; Coudane, Henry; Martrille, Laurent

2018-04-30

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of newer techniques and postprocessing tools that improve the potential impact of CT in forensic situations. CT has become a standard tool in medicolegal practice. Postmortem CT is an essential aid to the pathologist during autopsies. Advances in technology and software are constantly leading to advances in its performance.

Postmortem Findings in Patient with Guillain-Barré Syndrome and Zika Virus Infection

PubMed Central

Torres, José V.; Martines, Roosecelis Brasil; Reagan-Steiner, Sarah; Pérez, George Venero; Rivera, Aidsa; Major, Chelsea; Matos, Desiree; Muñoz-Jordan, Jorge; Shieh, Wun-Ju; Zaki, Sherif R.; Sharp, Tyler M.

2018-01-01

Postmortem examination results of a patient with Guillain-Barré syndrome and confirmed Zika virus infection revealed demyelination of the sciatic and cranial IV nerves, providing evidence of the acute demyelinating inflammatory polyneuropathy Guillain-Barré syndrome variant. Lack of evidence of Zika virus in nervous tissue suggests that pathophysiology was antibody mediated without neurotropism. PMID:29261094

The use of postmortem computed tomography in the diagnosis of intentional medication overdose.

PubMed

Burke, Michael P; O'Donnell, Chris; Bassed, Richard

2012-09-01

The recognition of a well defined basal layer of radio dense material on the postmortem computed tomography (CT) images, in the setting of typical scene findings of an intentional medication overdose and unremarkable external examination of the deceased's body can, in certain circumstances, permit such cases to be managed without routine full autopsy examination. Preliminary toxicological analysis can be targeted to such cases to provide further supportive evidence of intentional medication overdose. In cases where the scene findings are ambiguous or have been contaminated the postmortem CT images may alert the pathologist of the possibility of overdose in an otherwise apparently natural death. We reviewed 61 cases of documented intentional therapeutic medication overdose and 61 control cases. In the majority of the cases of confirmed intentional therapeutic medication overdose the CT images showed no diagnostic features. However, in many cases a well defined basal layer of radio-opaque material was clearly seen to line the gastric mucosa. The postmortem CT pattern which we believe to be highly suggestive of intentional medication overdose must be differentiated from other causes of increased radio density in the stomach which include CT artefacts.

A Case of Postmortem Canine Depredation.

PubMed

Chute, Dennis J; Bready, Robert J

2017-06-01

We report the case of postmortem animal depredation that produced initial confusion for investigators who responded to the scene. A decomposing elderly woman was found in her presumed home with bilateral upper extremity amputations and craniocerebral trauma. This raised suspicion of foul play. Subsequent investigations together with autopsy led the medical examiner to conclude that the cause of death was natural disease and that those injuries found on her body were produced by at least one of the dogs who shared the premises. We linked the canine culprit to the postmortem trauma and positively identified the remains by collecting material defecated by the animal and by using radiologic and dental comparison techniques.

Dating human skeletal remains: investigating the viability of measuring the equilibrium between 210Po and 210Pb as a means of estimating the post-mortem interval.

PubMed

Swift, B

1998-11-30

Estimating the post-mortem interval in skeletal remains is a notoriously difficult task; forensic pathologists often rely heavily upon experience in recognising morphological appearances. Previous techniques have involved measuring physical or chemical changes within the hydroxyapatite matrix, radiocarbon dating and 90Sr dating, though no individual test has been advocated. Within this paper it is proposed that measuring the equilibrium between two naturally occurring radio-isotopes, 210Po and 210Pb, and comparison with post-mortem examination samples would produce a new method of dating human skeletal remains. Possible limitations exist, notably the effect of diagenesis, time limitations and relative cost, though this technique could provide a relatively accurate means of determining the post-mortem interval. It is therefore proposed that a large study be undertaken to provide a calibration scale against which bones uncovered can be dated.

[The expressions of HSP 70 mRNA and c-fos mRNA in the skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle of rabbits by electrocuted].

PubMed

Wang, Ye; Liu, Min; Cheng, Wei-bo; He, Gui-qiong; Li, Fan; Liao, Zhi-gang

2008-08-01

To study the changes of HSP 70 mRNA and c-fos mRNA expression and to find a method to differentiate antemortem from postmortem electrocution. Fifteen New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into three groups, the antemortem electrocution group, the postmortem electrocution group, and the control group. Each group consists of five rabbits. The levels of HSP 70 mRNA and c-fos mRNA in skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle were examined with quantitative fluorescent RT-PCR. The levels of HSP 70 mRNA and c-fos mRNA in the antemortem electrocution group increased significantly (P<0.05), compared with that of the postmortem electrocution group. The changes of HSP 70 mRNA and c-fos mRNA expression in skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle can be used as an indicator to distinguish antemortem from postmortem electrocution.

Whole brain analysis of postmortem density changes of grey and white matter on computed tomography by statistical parametric mapping.

PubMed

Nishiyama, Yuichi; Kanayama, Hidekazu; Mori, Hiroshi; Tada, Keiji; Yamamoto, Yasushi; Katsube, Takashi; Takeshita, Haruo; Kawakami, Kazunori; Kitagaki, Hajime

2017-06-01

This study examined the usefulness of statistical parametric mapping (SPM) for investigating postmortem changes on brain computed tomography (CT). This retrospective study included 128 patients (23 - 100 years old) without cerebral abnormalities who underwent unenhanced brain CT before and after death. The antemortem CT (AMCT) scans and postmortem CT (PMCT) scans were spatially normalized using our original brain CT template, and postmortem changes of CT values (in Hounsfield units; HU) were analysed by the SPM technique. Compared with AMCT scans, 58.6 % and 98.4 % of PMCT scans showed loss of the cerebral sulci and an unclear grey matter (GM)-white matter (WM) interface, respectively. SPM analysis revealed a significant decrease in cortical GM density within 70 min after death on PMCT scans, suggesting cytotoxic brain oedema. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the density of the WM, lenticular nucleus and thalamus more than 120 min after death. The SPM technique demonstrated typical postmortem changes on brain CT scans, and revealed that the unclear GM-WM interface on early PMCT scans is caused by a rapid decrease in cortical GM density combined with a delayed increase in WM density. SPM may be useful for assessment of whole brain postmortem changes. • The original brain CT template achieved successful normalization of brain morphology. • Postmortem changes in the brain were independent of sex. • Cortical GM density decreased rapidly after death. • WM and deep GM densities increased following cortical GM density change. • SPM could be useful for assessment of whole brain postmortem changes.

Disrupted Sleep in Narcolepsy: Exploring the Integrity of Galanin Neurons in the Ventrolateral Preoptic Area.

PubMed

Gavrilov, Yury V; Ellison, Brian A; Yamamoto, Mihoko; Reddy, Hasini; Haybaeck, Johannes; Mignot, Emmanuel; Baumann, Christian R; Scammell, Thomas E; Valko, Philipp O

2016-05-01

To examine the integrity of sleep-promoting neurons of the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) in postmortem brains of narcolepsy type 1 patients. Postmortem examination of five narcolepsy and eight control brains. VLPO galanin neuron count did not differ between narcolepsy patients (11,151 ± 3,656) and controls (13,526 ± 9,544). A normal number of galanin-immunoreactive VLPO neurons in narcolepsy type 1 brains at autopsy suggests that VLPO cell loss is an unlikely explanation for the sleep fragmentation that often accompanies the disease. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Lung ultrasound accurately detects pneumothorax in a preterm newborn lamb model.

PubMed

Blank, Douglas A; Hooper, Stuart B; Binder-Heschl, Corinna; Kluckow, Martin; Gill, Andrew W; LaRosa, Domenic A; Inocencio, Ishmael M; Moxham, Alison; Rodgers, Karyn; Zahra, Valerie A; Davis, Peter G; Polglase, Graeme R

2016-06-01

Pneumothorax is a common emergency affecting extremely preterm. In adult studies, lung ultrasound has performed better than chest x-ray in the diagnosis of pneumothorax. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of lung ultrasound (LUS) examination to detect pneumothorax using a preterm animal model. This was a prospective, observational study using newborn Border-Leicester lambs at gestational age = 126 days (equivalent to gestational age = 26 weeks in humans) receiving mechanical ventilation from birth to 2 h of life. At the conclusion of the experiment, LUS was performed, the lambs were then euthanised and a post-mortem exam was immediately performed. We used previously published ultrasound techniques to identify pneumothorax. Test characteristics of LUS to detect pneumothorax were calculated, using the post-mortem exam as the 'gold standard' test. Nine lambs (18 lungs) were examined. Four lambs had a unilateral pneumothorax, all of which were identified by LUS with no false positives. This was the first study to use post-mortem findings to test the efficacy of LUS to detect pneumothorax in a newborn animal model. Lung ultrasound accurately detected pneumothorax, verified by post-mortem exam, in premature, newborn lambs. © 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

A case of severe soft tissue infection due to Streptococcus tigurinus diagnosed by necropsy in which genomic analysis was useful for clarifying its pathogenicity.

PubMed

Yoshizawa, Hidenori; Motooka, Daisuke; Matsumoto, Yuki; Katada, Ryuichi; Nakamura, Shota; Morii, Eiichi; Iida, Tetsuya; Matsumoto, Hiroshi

2018-05-01

Post-mortem detection of pathogenetic microorganisms in severe infectious death is significantly important for diagnosing the cause of death as well as for public health. However, it is difficult to recognize whether a microorganism detected from post-mortem materials is truly pathogenic or not. We report a case of severe soft tissue infection due to Streptococcus oralis subsp. tigurinus (S. tigurinus), a recently reported species, in which whole-genome analysis was performed to clarify its pathogenicity. A 46-year-old woman had died with symptoms of a severe infectious disease. A post-mortem examination was performed by a medical examiner. The external findings suggested a soft tissue infection; subsequently, pathological specimens sampled by necropsy revealed findings compatible with necrotizing fasciitis. In the post-mortem bacterial test, S. tigurinus was detected from the localized autopsy sample. Whole-genome sequencing was performed to analyze its pathogenicity and detected a strain of S. tigurinus with genetic determinants that were specific and unique to its highly virulent strains as a result of gene annotation. Utilizing various technologies, such as whole-genome sequencing, may be a powerful tool for diagnosing the cause of infectious death accurately and safely. © 2018 Japanese Society of Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Ex vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres.

PubMed

Kotrotsou, Aikaterini; Bennett, David A; Schneider, Julie A; Dawe, Robert J; Golak, Tom; Leurgans, Sue E; Yu, Lei; Arfanakis, Konstantinos

2014-01-01

The aims of this work were to (a) develop an approach for ex vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres that does not contaminate the results of histopathological examination, (b) longitudinally assess regional brain volumes postmortem, and (c) investigate the relationship between MR volumetric measurements performed in vivo and ex vivo. An approach for ex vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres was developed. Five hemispheres from elderly subjects were imaged ex vivo longitudinally. All datasets were segmented. The longitudinal behavior of volumes measured ex vivo was assessed. The relationship between in vivo and ex vivo volumetric measurements was investigated in seven elderly subjects imaged both antemortem and postmortem. This approach for ex vivo MR volumetry did not contaminate the results of histopathological examination. For a period of 6 months postmortem, within-subject volume variation across time points was substantially smaller than intersubject volume variation. A close linear correspondence was detected between in vivo and ex vivo volumetric measurements. Regional brain volumes measured with this approach for ex vivo MR volumetry remain relatively unchanged for a period of 6 months postmortem. Furthermore, the linear relationship between in vivo and ex vivo MR volumetric measurements suggests that this approach captures information linked to antemortem macrostructural brain characteristics. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ex-vivo MR Volumetry of Human Brain Hemispheres

PubMed Central

Kotrotsou, Aikaterini; Bennett, David A.; Schneider, Julie A.; Dawe, Robert J.; Golak, Tom; Leurgans, Sue E.; Yu, Lei; Arfanakis, Konstantinos

2013-01-01

Purpose The aims of this work were to: a) develop an approach for ex-vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres that does not contaminate the results of histopathological examination, b) longitudinally assess regional brain volumes postmortem, and c) investigate the relationship between MR volumetric measurements performed in-vivo and ex-vivo. Methods An approach for ex-vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres was developed. Five hemispheres from elderly subjects were imaged ex-vivo longitudinally. All datasets were segmented. The longitudinal behavior of volumes measured ex-vivo was assessed. The relationship between in-vivo and ex-vivo volumetric measurements was investigated in seven elderly subjects imaged both ante-mortem and postmortem. Results The presented approach for ex-vivo MR volumetry did not contaminate the results of histopathological examination. For a period of 6 months postmortem, within-subject volume variation across time points was substantially smaller than inter-subject volume variation. A close linear correspondence was detected between in-vivo and ex-vivo volumetric measurements. Conclusion Regional brain volumes measured with the presented approach for ex-vivo MR volumetry remain relatively unchanged for a period of 6 months postmortem. Furthermore, the linear relationship between in-vivo and ex-vivo MR volumetric measurements suggests that the presented approach captures information linked to ante-mortem macrostructural brain characteristics. PMID:23440751

Exploring the mechanical behavior of degrading swine neural tissue at low strain rates via the fractional Zener constitutive model.

PubMed

Bentil, Sarah A; Dupaix, Rebecca B

2014-02-01

The ability of the fractional Zener constitutive model to predict the behavior of postmortem swine brain tissue was examined in this work. Understanding tissue behavior attributed to degradation is invaluable in many fields such as the forensic sciences or cases where only cadaveric tissue is available. To understand how material properties change with postmortem age, the fractional Zener model was considered as it includes parameters to describe brain stiffness and also the parameter α, which quantifies the viscoelasticity of a material. The relationship between the viscoelasticity described by α and tissue degradation was examined by fitting the model to data collected in a previous study (Bentil, 2013). This previous study subjected swine neural tissue to in vitro unconfined compression tests using four postmortem age groups (<6h, 24h, 3 days, and 1 week). All samples were compressed to a strain level of 10% using two compressive rates: 1mm/min and 5mm/min. Statistical analysis was used as a tool to study the influence of the fractional Zener constants on factors such as tissue degradation and compressive rate. Application of the fractional Zener constitutive model to the experimental data showed that swine neural tissue becomes less stiff with increased postmortem age. The fractional Zener model was also able to capture the nonlinear viscoelastic features of the brain tissue at low strain rates. The results showed that the parameter α was better correlated with compressive rate than with postmortem age. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Extensive unusual lesions on a large number of immersed human victims found to be from cookiecutter sharks (Isistius spp.): an examination of the Yemenia plane crash.

PubMed

Ribéreau-Gayon, Agathe; Rando, Carolyn; Schuliar, Yves; Chapenoire, Stéphane; Crema, Enrico R; Claes, Julien; Seret, Bernard; Maleret, Vincent; Morgan, Ruth M

2017-03-01

Accurate determination of the origin and timing of trauma is key in medicolegal investigations when the cause and manner of death are unknown. However, distinction between criminal and accidental perimortem trauma and postmortem modifications can be challenging when facing unidentified trauma. Postmortem examination of the immersed victims of the Yemenia airplane crash (Comoros, 2009) demonstrated the challenges in diagnosing extensive unusual circular lesions found on the corpses. The objective of this study was to identify the origin and timing of occurrence (peri- or postmortem) of the lesions.A retrospective multidisciplinary study using autopsy reports (n = 113) and postmortem digital photos (n = 3 579) was conducted. Of the 113 victims recovered from the crash, 62 (54.9 %) presented unusual lesions (n = 560) with a median number of 7 (IQR 3 ∼ 13) and a maximum of 27 per corpse. The majority of lesions were elliptic (58 %) and had an area smaller than 10 cm 2 (82.1 %). Some lesions (6.8 %) also showed clear tooth notches on their edges. These findings identified most of the lesions as consistent with postmortem bite marks from cookiecutter sharks (Isistius spp.). It suggests that cookiecutter sharks were important agents in the degradation of the corpses and thus introduced potential cognitive bias in the research of the cause and manner of death. A novel set of evidence-based identification criteria for cookiecutter bite marks on human bodies is developed to facilitate more accurate medicolegal diagnosis of cookiecutter bites.

Postmortem succession of gut microbial communities in deceased human subjects

PubMed Central

Hauther, Kathleen A.

2017-01-01

The human microbiome has demonstrated an importance for the health and functioning in living individuals. However, the fate of the microbiome after death is less understood. In addition to a better understanding of microbe-mediated decomposition processes, postmortem succession of human-associated microbial communities has been suggested as a possible forensic tool for estimating time since death, or postmortem interval (PMI). The objective of our study was to document postmortem changes in human gut bacterial communities. Gut microflora were repeatedly sampled from the caeca of cadavers as they decayed under natural environmental conditions. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that over time, bacterial richness significantly increased (rs = 0.449) while diversity decreased (rs =  − 0.701). The composition of gut bacterial communities changed in a similar manner over time towards a common decay community. OTUs belonging to Bacteroidales (Bacteroides, Parabacteroides) significantly declined while Clostridiales (Clostridium, Anaerosphaera) and the fly-associated Gammaproteobacteria Ignatzschineria and Wohlfahrtiimonas increased. Our examination of human caeca microflora in decomposing cadavers adds to the growing literature on postmortem microbial communities, which will ultimately contribute to a better understanding of decomposition processes. PMID:28626612

Postmortem distribution of guaifenesin concentrations reveals a lack of potential for redistribution.

PubMed

McIntyre, Iain M; Navarrete, Aylmer; Mena, Othon

2014-12-01

Therapeutic (or non-toxic) postmortem guaifenesin blood and liver concentrations have not been previously described. Peripheral blood guaifenesin concentrations were compared to central blood and liver concentrations in eight medical examiner cases. Specimens were initially screened for alcohol and simple volatiles, drugs of abuse, alkaline, and acid/neutral drugs. Guaifenesin, when detected by the acid/neutral drug screen, was subsequently confirmed and quantified by a high performance liquid chromatography procedure. Data suggest that postmortem guaifenesin peripheral blood concentrations may be considered non-toxic to at least 5.4mg/L with liver concentrations to at least 7.0mg/kg. Overall, guaifenesin concentrations ranged from 1.9 to 40mg/L in peripheral blood, 2.2-150mg/L in central blood, and 2.6-36mg/kg in liver. The median guaifenesin central blood to peripheral blood ratio was 1.1 (N=8). Similarly, liver to peripheral blood ratios showed a median value of 0.9L/kg (N=5). Given that a liver to peripheral blood ratio less than 5L/kg is consistent with little to no propensity for postmortem redistribution, these data suggest that guaifenesin is not prone to substantial postmortem redistribution. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Clinical information has low sensitivity for postmortem diagnosis of heart valve disease.

PubMed

Coffey, Sean; Harper, Andrew R; Cairns, Benjamin J; Roberts, Ian Sd; Prendergast, Bernard D

2017-07-01

Accuracy of routinely collected information concerning cause of death is essential for public health and health systems planning. Since clinical examination has relatively low sensitivity for detection of valvular heart disease (VHD), mortality data based on clinical information alone might routinely underestimate the number of deaths due to VHD. We compared autopsy findings against premortem clinical information for 8198 consecutive adult postmortems (mean age 69.1 years, 61.3% men), performed in a single UK tertiary referral centre with on-site cardiac surgical facilities over a 10-year period (2004-2013) during which 21% of the adult population underwent postmortem examination. Following postmortem, VHD was the principal cause of death in 165 individuals (2.0%), a principal or contributory cause ('any cause') of death in 326 (4.0%) and an incidental (ie, non-causal) finding in a further 346 (4.2%). Clinical documentation of VHD before death was highly specific but relatively insensitive for postmortem identification of VHD as the principal (specificity 96.8%; 95% CI 96.4% to 97.2%; sensitivity 69.7%, 95% CI 62.1% to 76.6%) or any (specificity 98.1%; 95% CI 97.8% to 98.4%; sensitivity 68.4%, 95% CI 63.1% to 73.4%) cause of death. VHD (principally aortic stenosis, endocarditis and rheumatic heart disease) was newly noted at postmortem and listed as a cause of death in 142 individuals (1.7%). Clinical information recorded premortem is highly specific but relatively insensitive for the cause of death established at autopsy. Population-based mortality statistics that depend on premortem clinical information are likely to routinely underestimate the mortality burden of VHD. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Postmortem brain MRI with selective tissue biopsy as an adjunct to autopsy following neonatal encephalopathy.

PubMed

Nicholl, R M; Balasubramaniam, V P; Urquhart, D S; Sellathurai, N; Rutherford, M A

2007-05-01

Following the death of a neonate it is essential that parents are given full and accurate information about the probable cause of death. Perinatal autopsy often adds new information or may even change the presumed diagnosis [Cartlidge PH, Dawson AT, Stewart JH, Vujanic GM. Value and quality of perinatal and infant postmortem examinations: cohort analysis of 400 consecutive deaths. Br Med J 1995;310(6973):155-8; Khong TY. Falling neonatal autopsy rates. Br Med J 2002;324(7340):749-50] informing decisions regarding the management of any future pregnancy. Autopsy can be considered the "gold standard" for the identification of antecedent events leading to a neonatal death. However, recent events in the UK have added to an already declining rate in neonatal autopsies [Brodlie M, Laing IA. Ten years of neonatal autopsies in tertiary referral centre: retrospective study. Br Med J 2002;324(7340):761-3]. To try and redress this balance the Chief Medical Officer has recommended that research should be commissioned into the use of non-invasive imaging to provide a similar standard of information [The Chief Medical Officer. The removal, retention and use of human organs and tissues from post mortem examination. London, England: The Stationary Office, Department of Health; 2001]. Previous publications on postmortem MRI have focused largely on investigation of the foetus and of still birth [Griffiths PD, Variend D, Evans M, Jones A, Wilkinson ID, Paley MNJ, et al. Postmortem MR imaging of the fetal and stillborn central nervous system. Am J Neuroradiol 2003;24(1):22-7; Whitby EH, Paley MN, Cohen M, GriffithsPD. Postmortem MR imaging of the fetus: an adjunct or a replacement for conventional autopsy? Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 2005;10(5):475-83]. We report our experience on the use of postmortem brain MRI combined with selective tissue biopsy, in six neonatal deaths in the setting of a large district general hospital.

Ultrasonographic findings in goats with contagious caprine pleuropneumonia caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae.

PubMed

Tharwat, Mohamed; Al-Sobayil, Fahd

2017-08-22

In goats, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a cause of major economic losses in Africa, Asia and in the Middle East. There is no information emphasising the importance of diagnostic ultrasound in goats with CCPP caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp). This study was designed to describe the ultrasonographic findings in goats with CCPP caused by Mccp and to correlate ultrasonographic with post-mortem findings. To this end, 55 goats with CCPP were examined. Twenty-five healthy adult goats were used as a control group. Major clinical findings included harried, painful respiration, dyspnoea and mouth breathing. On ultrasonography, a liver-like echotexture was imaged in 13 goats. Upon post-mortem examination, all 13 goats exhibited unilateral pulmonary consolidation. Seven goats had a unilateral hypoechoic pleural effusion. At necropsy, the related lung was consolidated and the pleural fluid appeared turbid and greenish. Pleural abscessiation detected in five goats was confirmed post-mortem. Twenty-eight goats had a bright, fibrinous matrix extending over the chest wall containing numerous anechoic fluid pockets with medial displacement and compression of lung tissue. Echogenic tags imaged floating in the fluid were found upon post-mortem examination to be fibrin. In two goats, a consolidated right parenchyma was imaged together with hypoechoic pericardial effusions with echogenic tags covering the epicardium. At necropsy, the right lung was consolidated in three goats and fibrin threads were found covering the epicardium and pericardium. In goats with CCPP, the extension and the severity of the pulmonary changes could not be verified with clinical certainty in most cases, whereas this was possible most of the time with sonography, thus making the prognosis easier. Ultrasonographic examination of the pleurae and the lungs helped in the detection of various lesions.

Teaching post-mortem external examination in undergraduate medical education--the formal and the informal curriculum.

PubMed

Anders, Sven; Fischer-Bruegge, Dorothee; Fabian, Merle; Raupach, Tobias; Petersen-Ewert, Corinna; Harendza, Sigrid

2011-07-15

In undergraduate medical education, the training of post-mortem external examination on dead bodies might evoke strong emotional reactions in medical students that could counteract the intended learning goals. We evaluated student perception of a forensic medicine course, their perceived learning outcome (via self-assessment) and possible tutor-dependent influences on the overall evaluation of the course by a questionnaire-based survey among 150 medical students in Hamburg, Germany. The majority of students identified post-mortem external examination as an important learning objective in undergraduate medical education and did not feel that the dignity of the deceased was offended by the course procedures. After the course, more than 70% of the students felt able to perform an external examination and to fill in a death certificate. Respectful behavior of course tutors towards the deceased entailed better overall course ratings by students (p<0.001). Our findings highlight the importance of factors such as clearly defined learning goals and course standardization (formal curriculum) as well as tutor behavior (informal curriculum) in undergraduate education in forensic medicine. Furthermore, we suggest embedding teaching in forensic medicine in longitudinal curricula on death and dying and on the health consequences of interpersonal violence. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fetal Cardiac Impairment in Nitrofen-Induced Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: Postmortem Microcomputed Tomography Imaging Study.

PubMed

Pelizzo, Gloria; Calcaterra, Valeria; Lombardi, Claudio; Bussani, Rossana; Zambelli, Vanessa; De Silvestri, Annalisa; Custrin, Ana; Belgrano, Manuel; Zennaro, Floriana

2017-08-01

We assessed the post-mortem micro-CT utility to evaluate fetal cardiac impairment in nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). At 9.5d postconception (dpc), pregnant rats were exposed to nitrofen. At +18 and +21dpc, fetuses were harvested by cesarean section. Postmortem micro-CT and autopsy were performed. Fetuses were assigned to three experimental groups: Control group (C), Nitrofen group (N, exposition to nitrofen without CDH), CDH group. Cardio-pulmonary indices were evaluated. An accurate morphological evaluation of the lung and heart was obtained. Early cardiac impairment was present in the N and CDH groups. At term pregnancy, an increased maximum diameter and decreased minimum diameter of the ventricles and increased interventricular septal thickness were noted in CDH. Histology showed a myocardial "disarray" and an high density of mitotic myocytes in CDH at midgestation. The potential utility of post-mortem fetal micro-CT examination in CDH was introduced. The results highlighted the presence of cardiac adaptation in affected fetuses.

Involved in the Business of Death: The Social Work Role in Postmortem Care.

PubMed

Sefansky, Susan

2017-02-01

One way that hospitals address concerns about postmortem care is through an office of decedent affairs (ODA). Many hospitals use this office to collect death paperwork, release bodies to funeral homes, perform autopsies, or increase rates of autopsies and organ and tissue donations. It is not common for an ODA to report to the Department of Social Work rather than the Department of Pathology. Few offices put the emphasis on postmortem care for families or staff members. A comprehensive postmortem program needs many different components, including support to families (for example, viewing the dead, advising on next steps after a death, and providing bereavement support), consulting with and supporting multidisciplinary staffers, and coordinating with multiple medical center departments. This article examines a hospital's use of social work principles and clinical training to provide leadership to an ODA and describes the key elements and advantages of a successful program. © 2016 National Association of Social Workers.

Postmortem bone marrow analysis in forensic science: study of 73 cases and review of the literature.

PubMed

Tattoli, Lucia; Tsokos, Michael; Sautter, Julia; Anagnostopoulos, Joannis; Maselli, Eloisa; Ingravallo, Giuseppe; Delia, Mario; Solarino, Biagio

2014-01-01

In forensic sciences, bone marrow (BM) is an alternative matrix in postmortem toxicology because of its good resistance to autolysis and contaminations. Nevertheless, few studies have been focused on postmortem BM morphological changes after pathological stimuli. We examined 73 BM samples from forensic autopsies; causes of death were both natural and traumatic. BM samples were collected from the sternum by needle aspiration and biopsy; in selected cases, immunohistochemistry was performed. Few autolytic changes were found; BM cellularity decreased with increasing age and postmortem interval. Notable cell changes were detected in 45 cases (61.64%): neoplastic (n=4), and non-neoplastic BM findings (n=41), including multiorgan failure/sepsis (n=26), myelodisplastic-like conditions (n=11), and anaphylactic reactions (n=4). The results showed that BM cellularity supported circumstantial and autopsy findings, suggesting that BM samples could be a useful tool in forensic science applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pathologic lesions of mycotic pneumonia in an alpaca following third compartment ulceration.

PubMed

Hughes, Katherine; Mueller, Karin

2008-09-01

A 4-year-old female alpaca was referred to The Queen's Veterinary School Hospital (Cambridge, United Kingdom) with a history of abortion 6 days previous, at approximately 245 days in gestation. The patient had developed watery diarrhea 24 hr after abortion and exhibited bruxism, progressive depression, and ultimately collapse. On presentation to the referral institute, the alpaca was unable to stand and exhibited severe tachypnea, dyspnea, and tachycardia. The patient was considered to be moribund and was euthanized. Macroscopic postmortem assessment and subsequent histological investigations revealed multifocal ulceration of the third gastric compartment, with vascular mycotic invasion and disseminated multifocal embolic mycotic pneumonia. Real-time polymerase chain reaction targeting the large ribosomal subunit (28S) performed on paraffin-embedded lung tissue successfully amplified 28S RNA specific for Aspergillus species. The primary cause of the depression and collapse of this animal was considered to be a combination of respiratory compromise due to severe embolic mycotic pneumonia and endotoxic shock associated with the ulcerative gastritis of the third gastric compartment. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of ulcerative gastritis of the third gastric compartment histologically illustrated as a portal of entry for Aspergillus species causing embolic mycotic pneumonia in an alpaca.

Anatomic, histologic, and two-dimensional-echocardiographic evaluation of mitral valve anatomy in dogs.

PubMed

Borgarelli, Michele; Tursi, Massimiliano; La Rosa, Giuseppe; Savarino, Paolo; Galloni, Marco

2011-09-01

To compare echocardiographic variables of dogs with postmortem anatomic measurements and histologic characteristics of the mitral valve (MV). 21 cardiologically normal dogs. The MV was measured echocardiographically by use of the right parasternal 5-chamber long-axis view. Dogs were euthanized, and anatomic measurements of the MV annulus (MVa) were performed at the level of the left circumflex coronary artery. Mitral valve leaflets (MVLs) and chordae tendineae were measured. Structure of the MVLs was histologically evaluated in 3 segments (proximal, middle, and distal). Echocardiographic measurements of MVL length did not differ significantly from anatomic measurements. A positive correlation was detected between body weight and MVa area. There was a negative correlation between MVa area and the percentage by which the MVL area exceeded the MVa area. Anterior MVLs had a significantly higher number of chordae tendineae than did posterior MVLs. Histologically, layering of MVLs was less preserved in the distal segment, whereas the muscular component and adipose tissue were significantly more diffuse in the proximal and middle segments. The MV in cardiologically normal dogs had wide anatomic variability. Anatomic measurements of MVL length were correlated with echocardiographic measurements.

Comparison of methods to detect Pasteurella multocida in carrier waterfowl

USGS Publications Warehouse

Samuel, M.D.; Shadduck, D.J.; Goldberg, Diana R.; Johnson, W.P.

2003-01-01

We conducted laboratory challenge trials using mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) to compare methods for detecting carriers of Pasteurella multocida, the bacterium that causes avian cholera, in wild birds. Birds that survived the initial infection were euthanized at 2-4 wk intervals up to 14 wk post challenge. Isolates of P. multocida were obtained at necropsy from 23% of the birds that survived initial infection. We found that swab samples (oral, cloacal, nasal, eye, and leg joint) were most effective for detecting carrier birds up to 14 wk post infection. No detectable differences in isolation were observed for samples stored in either 10% dimethysulfoxide or brain heart infusion broth. The frequency of detecting carriers in our challenge trials appeared to be related to mortality rates observed during the trial, but was not related to a number of other factors including time after challenge, time delays in collecting tissues postmortem, and route of infection. In our trials, there was little association between antibody levels and carrier status. We concluded that swabs samples collected from recently dead birds, stored in liquid nitrogen, and processed using selective broth provide a feasible field method for detecting P. multocida carriers in wild waterfowl.

Muslim customs surrounding death, bereavement, postmortem examinations, and organ transplants.

PubMed Central

Gatrad, A. R.

1994-01-01

Muslims are always buried, never cremated. It is a religious requirement that the body be ritually washed and draped before burial, which should be as soon as possible after death. Those carrying out this duty should be immunised against hepatitis B and be aware of the hazards of AIDS. Muslim women never attend burials and it is rare for funeral directors to be involved. Muslim jurists from the Arab world can justify organ transplantation, but those from the Indian subcontinent are against it. They are united in the belief of the sacredness of the human body and thus deplore postmortem examinations. Images p522-a PMID:7848419

Sudden infant death syndrome caused by poliomyelitis.

PubMed

Dunne, J W; Harper, C G; Hilton, J M

1984-07-01

Most seemingly well infants who die suddenly and unexpectedly have no adequate cause of death found on thorough postmortem examination. Respiratory and enteric viruses are often present, especially in the upper respiratory tract, but the infective process seems, of itself, insufficient to cause death. In the remainder of the cases, a variety of lesions will be discovered, including viral myocarditis, bronchiolitis, and sepsis. We report a case of sudden and unexpected death in a 5-week-old male infant due to acute anterior poliomyelitis. This case illustrates the importance of a thorough postmortem examination, including histologic studies of the brain stem and spinal cord in cases of sudden infant death syndrome.

[Uncovering an undetected homicide by exhumation].

PubMed

Grellner, Wolfgang

2009-01-01

The problems of postmortem examinations and the associated dark figure of undetected homicides are well known and have been repeatedly discussed in Germany. The article deals with the case of a 73-year-old woman whose death was initially certified as being natural ("sudden cardiac death"). When secondary suspicious circumstances turned up, an exhumation was ordered three weeks after the burial. At autopsy, signs of multiple blunt force to the occiput, the thorax and the upper extremities as well as compression of the neck were found. The findings proved foreign intervention and suggested death due to suffocation. In the court trial, the accused pleaded an accidental event (fall down stairs). He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. The presented case of homicide remained undetected at first, as due to the deceased's advanced age a natural death had been falsely assumed. An obviously very superficial external postmortem examination by the physician was probably the main reason for the misjudgement. The factors "advanced age" and "homicide leaving few external traces and no visible injuries" seem to present special problems and essentially contribute to the dark figure of undetected homicides. Physicians performing postmortem examinations and the general public should be made aware of the problem by regular further education and discussion.

Longitudinal assessment of short-term memory deterioration in a logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia with post-mortem confirmed Alzheimer's Disease pathology.

PubMed

Tree, Jeremy; Kay, Janice

2015-09-01

In the field of dementia research, there are reports of neurodegenerative cases with a focal loss of language, termed primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Currently, this condition has been further sub-classified, with the most recent sub-type dubbed logopenic variant (PPA-LV). As yet, there remains somewhat limited evaluation of the characteristics of this condition, with no studies providing longitudinal assessment accompanied by post-mortem examination. Moreover, a key characteristic of the PPA-LV case is a deterioration of phonological short-term memory, but again little work has scrutinized the nature of this impairment over time. The current study seeks to redress these oversights and presents detailed longitudinal examination of language and memory function in a case of PPA-LV, with special focus on tests linked to components of phonological short-term memory function. Our findings are then considered with reference to a contemporary model of the neuropsychology of phonological short-term memory. Additionally, post-mortem examinations indicated Alzheimer's disease type pathology, providing further evidence that the PPA-LV presentation may reflect an atypical presentation of this condition. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

[Current macro-diagnostic trends of forensic medicine in the Czech Republic].

PubMed

Frišhons, Jan; Kučerová, Štěpánka; Jurda, Mikoláš; Sokol, Miloš; Vojtíšek, Tomáš; Hejna, Petr

2017-01-01

Over the last few years, advanced diagnostic methods have penetrated in the realm of forensic medicine in addition to standard autopsy techniques supported by traditional X-ray examination and macro-diagnostic laboratory tests. Despite the progress of imaging methods, the conventional autopsy has remained basic and essential diagnostic tool in forensic medicine. Postmortem computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are far the most progressive modern radio diagnostic methods setting the current trend of virtual autopsies all over the world. Up to now, only two institutes of forensic medicine have available postmortem computed tomography for routine diagnostic purposes in the Czech Republic. Postmortem magnetic resonance is currently unattainable for routine diagnostic use and was employed only for experimental purposes. Photogrammetry is digital method focused primarily on body surface imaging. Recently, the most fruitful results have been yielded from the interdisciplinary cooperation between forensic medicine and forensic anthropology with the implementation of body scanning techniques and 3D printing. Non-invasive and mini-invasive investigative methods such as postmortem sonography and postmortem endoscopy was unsystematically tested for diagnostic performance with good outcomes despite of limitations of these methods in postmortem application. Other futuristic methods, such as the use of a drone to inspect the crime scene are still experimental tools. The authors of the article present a basic overview of the both routinely and experimentally used investigative methods and current macro-diagnostic trends of the forensic medicine in the Czech Republic.

Development of a PCR Assay for the Detection of Spironucleus muris

PubMed Central

Jackson, Glenn A; Livingston, Robert S; Riley, Lela K; Livingston, Beth A; Franklin, Craig L

2013-01-01

Spironucleus muris is a protozoan that can colonize the intestinal tract of many rodent species. Although its effects on animal health and research are debated, S. muris is often included on exclusion lists for rodent facilities. Common diagnostic tests for S. muris are insensitive and typically are performed at postmortem examination. We sought to develop a PCR-based diagnostic test with sufficient sensitivity and specificity for use on fecal samples from live rodents. We designed and optimized a PCR assay that targeted the 16S-like rRNA gene of S. muris. The assay was highly specific, given that samples from mice contaminated with S. muris were PCR positive, whereas samples from mice contaminated with other protozoa were negative. The assay also was highly sensitive, detecting as few as 5 template copies per microliter diluent. All mice positive for S. muris on postmortem exams also were positive by fecal PCR. Moreover, S. muris was detected by PCR in mice negative by postmortem examination but from colonies known to be contaminated as well as in rats and hamsters. To assess protozoal loads in mice of differing ages, the PCR assay was adapted to a quantitative format. Fecal loads of S. muris were highest in 4-wk-old mice and declined with age. The PCR assay developed promises to be a highly specific antemortem diagnostic assay with higher sensitivity than that of existing postmortem tests. PMID:23562099

Rhodotorula minuta fungemia in a ewe lamb

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An 8-mo-old crossbred ewe, normal upon physical examination, was humanely euthanized for tissue collection. After approximately three weeks in tissue culture, fungi began budding out of cells obtained from the choroid plexus. After an additional three weeks, budding was observed in kidney cell cul...

Mycobacterium marinum infection in a blue-fronted Amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva).

PubMed

Hannon, David E; Bemis, David A; Garner, Michael M

2012-12-01

A blue-fronted Amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva) was presented with a granuloma involving the proximal rhinotheca and extending into the rostral sinuses. Mycobacterium marinum was diagnosed based on results of biopsy and culture. Treatment was initiated with clarithromycin, rifampin, and ethambutol, but the bird died 4 months after the onset of antimicrobial therapy. Additional granulomas were found in the left lung and liver on postmortem examination. Mycobacterial isolation on postmortem samples was unsuccessful. This is the first report of Mycobacterium marinum in a bird.

Interpretation of postmortem change in cadavers in Spain.

PubMed

Prieto, José L; Magaña, Concepción; Ubelaker, Douglas H

2004-09-01

Estimating time since death is especially difficult in the examination of poorly preserved cadavers and depends on the experience of the examiner and comparison with previously documented cases showing similar characteristics. The present study reports on information obtained over the past ten years through the work of the Laboratorio de Antropología y Odontología Forense (LAF) of the Instituto Anatómico Forense de Madrid, Spain, in particular evaluating how the type of fracture influences postmortem change. From the original 225 forensic cases examined between 1992 and 2002 in the LAF, a sample of 29 cases were selected from various regions of the Spanish mainland. A data collection protocol was established to reflect factors which the existing specialized literature, documenting the relation existing in the sample analyzed between time since death and the extent of postmortem change, which in the environments examined are distributed into the following phases: Phase 1 (putrefaction): one week to one month on the surface and two months in water. Phase 2 (initial skeletonization): two months on the surface and five to six months in water. Phase 3 (advanced skeltonization): six months to 1.5 years on the surface and 2.5 years buried. Phase 4 (complete skeletonization): about one year on the surface and three years buried. This paper also provide useful information on the impact of carrion insect activity, location, climate, seasonality, and predator.

Technical brief: a comparison of two methods of euthanasia on retinal dopamine levels.

PubMed

Hwang, Christopher K; Iuvone, P Michael

2013-01-01

Mice are commonly used in biomedical research, and euthanasia is an important part of mouse husbandry. Approved, humane methods of euthanasia are designed to minimize the potential for pain or discomfort, but may also influence the measurement of experimental variables. We compared the effects of two approved methods of mouse euthanasia on the levels of retinal dopamine. We examined the level of retinal dopamine, a commonly studied neuromodulator, following euthanasia by carbon dioxide (CO₂)-induced asphyxiation or by cervical dislocation. We found that the level of retinal dopamine in mice euthanized through CO₂ overdose substantially differed from that in mice euthanized through cervical dislocation. The use of CO₂ as a method of euthanasia could result in an experimental artifact that could compromise results when studying labile biologic processes.

Ethereal presences in holography and photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, M.; Byrne, Kay

2007-02-01

This paper examines the concept of the 'Presence of Absence' in post-mortem photography and holography, drawing upon both historical and lesser-known images as reference. To create a photographic negative one needs the presence of light to expose the light sensitive surface, be it glass, a polished plate or plastic. A hologram may also be created when a coherent light source, for example from a Laser, travels through a light sensitive material and falls upon the subject to be recorded. A holograph however, retains the optical qualities of both phase and amplitude, the memory of light. Both mediums recall, as it were, 'now absent moments', and confronts us with what is 'not there' as much as 'what is'. This paper examines the exploration of absence and presence in post-mortem photography and holography and it's a richly visceral visual language. A photonic syntax can interpret death as an elegant yet horrific aesthetic, the photograph may be beautify screened and yet obscene in its content. In essence one can be a voyeur, experiencing a mere visual whisper of the true nature of the subject. Our Victorian forefathers explored postmortem photography as an object of mourning, and at the close of the nineteenth century when Jack the Ripper had the inhabitants of White Chapel in a grip of fear, photography made its mark as a documentation of violent crime. Today, within contemporary photography, death is now presented within the confines of the 'Art Gallery', as a sensual, and at times, sensationalised art form. In exploring post-mortem imagery, both in holography and conventional photography, absence presents an aspect of death as startling in its unanimated form and detailed in its finite examination of mortality.

Interpretation of postmortem forensic toxicology results for injury prevention research.

PubMed

Drummer, Olaf H; Kennedy, Briohny; Bugeja, Lyndal; Ibrahim, Joseph Elias; Ozanne-Smith, Joan

2013-08-01

Forensic toxicological data provides valuable insight into the potential contribution of alcohol and drugs to external-cause deaths. There is a paucity of material that guides injury researchers on the principles that need to be considered when examining the presence and contribution of alcohol and drugs to these deaths. This paper aims to describe and discuss strengths and limitations of postmortem forensic toxicology sample selection, variations in analytical capabilities and data interpretation for injury prevention research. Issues to be considered by injury researchers include: the circumstances surrounding death (including the medical and drug use history of the deceased person); time and relevant historical factors; postmortem changes (including redistribution and instability); laboratory practices; specimens used; drug concentration; and attribution of contribution to death. This paper describes the range of considerations for testing and interpreting postmortem forensic toxicology, particularly when determining impairment or toxicity as possible causal factors in injury deaths. By describing these considerations, this paper has application to decisions about study design and case inclusion in injury prevention research, and to the interpretation of research findings.

Common Postmortem Computed Tomography Findings Following Atraumatic Death: Differentiation between Normal Postmortem Changes and Pathologic Lesions

PubMed Central

Gonoi, Wataru; Okuma, Hidemi; Shirota, Go; Shintani, Yukako; Abe, Hiroyuki; Takazawa, Yutaka; Fukayama, Masashi; Ohtomo, Kuni

2015-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) is widely used in postmortem investigations as an adjunct to the traditional autopsy in forensic medicine. To date, several studies have described postmortem CT findings as being caused by normal postmortem changes. However, on interpretation, postmortem CT findings that are seemingly due to normal postmortem changes initially, may not have been mere postmortem artifacts. In this pictorial essay, we describe the common postmortem CT findings in cases of atraumatic in-hospital death and describe the diagnostic pitfalls of normal postmortem changes that can mimic real pathologic lesions. PMID:26175579

Comparison of damage to live v. euthanized Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts from passage through an Archimedean screw turbine.

PubMed

Brackley, R; Lucas, M C; Thomas, R; Adams, C E; Bean, C W

2018-05-01

This study assessed the usefulness of passing euthanized Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts through an Archimedean screw turbine to test for external damage, as compared with live, actively swimming smolts. Scale loss was the only observed effect. Severe scale loss was 5·9 times more prevalent in euthanized turbine-passed fish (45%) than the live fish (7·6%). Additionally, distinctive patterns of scale loss, consistent with grinding between the turbine helices and housing trough, were observed in 35% of euthanized turbine-passed smolts. This distinctive pattern of scale loss was not seen in live turbine-passed smolts, nor in control groups (live and euthanized smolts released downstream of the turbine), which suggests that the altered behaviour of dead fish in turbine flows generates biased injury outcomes. © 2018 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

A case report describing detection of Rhodoturola minuta fungemia in an ewe lamb

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An eight-month-old crossbred ewe that was normal upon physical examination was humanely euthanized for tissue collection. Prior to euthanasia, whole blood was collected via jugular venipuncture into 60-ml syringes containing EDTA anticoagulant. After sacrifice, the brain was removed and the choroi...

A two-step process of nitrous oxide before carbon dioxide for humanely euthanizing piglets: on-farm trials

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The current methods of euthanizing neonatal piglets are raising concerns from the public and scientists. Our experiment tests the use of a two-step euthanasia method using nitrous oxide (N2O) for six minutes and then carbon dioxide (CO2) as a more humane way to euthanize piglets compared to just usi...

Prenatal diagnosis of monocephalic bifacial tetraophthalmic diprosopus (conjoined twin).

PubMed

Dhaifalah, I; Curtisova, V; Santavy, J

2008-01-01

A case of diprosopus twinning which is rare conjoined twinning is reported prenatally at 22 weeks' gestation. 2D ultrasound examinations showed duplication of the craniofacial structures with four hemispheres, two cerebella and two thalami. There were three orbits two external ears, two noses, fused adjacent maxilla and two oral cavities with two fused oral opening and two jaws. The woman did not consent to any further investigations and the pregnancy was terminated. The postmortem examination confirmed the diagnosis in a male fetus with a crown-rump length of 155 mm, weighing 450 g. The body appeared normal except for a small poorly formed rudiment of a supernumerary digit next to the thumb of the right hand. The ultrasound examination and postmortem finding of this case is described with a short review of the literature. (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

Caspase inhibitors increase the rate of recovery of neural stem/progenitor cells from post-mortem rat brains stored at room temperature.

PubMed

Hasegawa, Atsuko; Yamada, Chikako; Tani, Miho; Hirano, Shun-ichiro; Tokumoto, Yasuhito; Miyake, Jun

2009-06-01

To match the demand of regenerative medicine for nerve system, collection of stem cells from the post-mortem body is one of the most practical ways. In this study, the storage condition of the post-mortem body was examined. We prepared neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) from post-mortem rat brains stored at different temperatures. When brains were stored at 4 degrees C, for one week, we were able to obtain neurospheres (a spheroid body containing NSPCs) by stimulation of cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF). Incremental increases in storage temperature decreased the rate of appearance of neurospheres. Within 48 h at 15 degrees C, 24 h at 25 degrees C, in both condition, we were able to recover NSPCs from post-mortem rat brains. At 15 degrees C, 90% of neurosphere-forming activity was lost within 24 h. However, even after 24 h at 25 degrees C, 2% neurosphere-forming activity remained. After 6 h of death, there was very little difference between the rates of NSPC recovery at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C. Addition of caspase inhibitors to both the rat brain storage solution and the NSPC culture medium increased the rate of neurosphere-forming activity. In particular, an inhibitor of caspase-8 activity increased the NSPC recovery rate approximately three-fold, with no accompanying detrimental effects on neural differentiation in vitro.

An anencephalic monocephalus diprosopus "headed twin": postmortem and CT findings with emphasis on the cranial bones.

PubMed

Ekinci, Gazanfer; Balci, Sevim; Erzen, Canan

2005-01-01

Monocephalus diprosopus is a form of conjoined twinning characterized by a single body, one unusual head and two faces or a spectrum of duplication of the craniofacial structures. Such cases have been mainly described according to postmortem pathologic examination. This presented case is a 26-week-stillborn female fetus, with unusual facial appearance with four eyes, two mouths, two noses, two ears and a defective cranial vault. To our knowledge, a detailed computerized tomography (CT) examination of the aberrant facial and cranial bones of such a case has not been reported to date. In this reported case, we present an anencephalic monocephalus diprosopus "headed twin", and describe the CT findings with emphasis on the cranial bones.

Brain, Craniofacial, and Dental Lesions of a Free-ranging Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) Implicated in a Human Attack in Minnesota, USA.

PubMed

Schwabenlander, Marc; Stepaniuk, Kevin; Carstensen, Michelle; Armién, Aníbal G

2016-01-01

We describe significant brain, craniofacial, and dental lesions in a free-ranging wolf (Canis lupus) involved in a human attack. On postmortem examination, the wolf presented asymmetric atrophy and bone remodeling affecting the mandible, incisive, maxilla, lacrimal, palatine, frontal, and ethmoid bones. There was an asymmetrical skeletal malocclusion and dental abnormalities including rotated, malpositioned, partially erupted teeth, and an odontogenic cyst associated with an unerupted canine tooth. Brain changes were bilateral loss and atrophy of extensive cortex regions including olfactory bulb, peduncles, and tract, and the frontal lobe. We highlight the relevance of a thorough postmortem examination of wildlife to elucidate disease-based abnormal behavior as the reason for human-animal conflict.

Downregulated Kynurenine 3-Monooxygenase Gene Expression and Enzyme Activity in Schizophrenia and Genetic Association With Schizophrenia Endophenotypes

PubMed Central

Wonodi, Ikwunga; Stine, O. Colin; Sathyasaikumar, Korrapati V.; Roberts, Rosalinda C.; Mitchell, Braxton D.; Hong, L. Elliot; Kajii, Yasushi; Thaker, Gunvant K.; Schwarcz, Robert

2013-01-01

Context Kynurenic acid, a metabolite of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation, is an antagonist at N-methyl-d-aspartate and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and modulates glutamate, dopamine, and acetylcholine signaling. Cortical kynurenic acid concentrations are elevated in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenia patients. The proximal cause may be an impairment of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), a rate-limiting enzyme at the branching point of the kynurenine pathway. Objectives To examine KMO messenger RNA expression and KMO enzyme activity in postmortem tissue from the frontal eye field (FEF; Brodmann area 6) obtained from schizophrenia individuals compared with healthy control individuals and to explore the relationship between KMO single-nucleotide polymorphisms and schizophrenia oculomotor endophenotypes. Design Case-control postmortem and clinical study. Setting Maryland Brain Collection, outpatient clinics. Participants Postmortem specimens from schizophrenia patients (n=32) and control donors (n=32) and a clinical sample of schizophrenia patients (n=248) and healthy controls (n=228). Main Outcome Measures Comparison of quantitative KMO messenger RNA expression and KMO enzyme activity in postmortem FEF tissue between schizophrenia patients and controls and association of KMO single-nucleotide polymorphisms with messenger RNA expression in postmortem FEF and schizophrenia and oculomotor endophenotypes (ie, smooth pursuit eye movements and oculomotor delayed response). Results In postmortem tissue, we found a significant and correlated reduction in KMO gene expression and KMO enzyme activity in the FEF in schizophrenia patients. In the clinical sample, KMO rs2275163 was not associated with a diagnosis of schizophrenia but showed modest effects on predictive pursuit and visuospatial working memory endophenotypes. Conclusion Our results provide converging lines of evidence implicating reduced KMO activity in the etiopathophysiology of schizophrenia and related neurocognitive deficits. PMID:21727251

Downregulated kynurenine 3-monooxygenase gene expression and enzyme activity in schizophrenia and genetic association with schizophrenia endophenotypes.

PubMed

Wonodi, Ikwunga; Stine, O Colin; Sathyasaikumar, Korrapati V; Roberts, Rosalinda C; Mitchell, Braxton D; Hong, L Elliot; Kajii, Yasushi; Thaker, Gunvant K; Schwarcz, Robert

2011-07-01

Kynurenic acid, a metabolite of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation, is an antagonist at N-methyl-d-aspartate and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and modulates glutamate, dopamine, and acetylcholine signaling. Cortical kynurenic acid concentrations are elevated in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenia patients. The proximal cause may be an impairment of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), a rate-limiting enzyme at the branching point of the kynurenine pathway. To examine KMO messenger RNA expression and KMO enzyme activity in postmortem tissue from the frontal eye field (FEF; Brodmann area 6) obtained from schizophrenia individuals compared with healthy control individuals and to explore the relationship between KMO single-nucleotide polymorphisms and schizophrenia oculomotor endophenotypes. Case-control postmortem and clinical study. Maryland Brain Collection, outpatient clinics. Postmortem specimens from schizophrenia patients (n = 32) and control donors (n = 32) and a clinical sample of schizophrenia patients (n = 248) and healthy controls (n = 228). Comparison of quantitative KMO messenger RNA expression and KMO enzyme activity in postmortem FEF tissue between schizophrenia patients and controls and association of KMO single-nucleotide polymorphisms with messenger RNA expression in postmortem FEF and schizophrenia and oculomotor endophenotypes (ie, smooth pursuit eye movements and oculomotor delayed response). In postmortem tissue, we found a significant and correlated reduction in KMO gene expression and KMO enzyme activity in the FEF in schizophrenia patients. In the clinical sample, KMO rs2275163 was not associated with a diagnosis of schizophrenia but showed modest effects on predictive pursuit and visuospatial working memory endophenotypes. Our results provide converging lines of evidence implicating reduced KMO activity in the etiopathophysiology of schizophrenia and related neurocognitive deficits.

Microglossia in three littermate puppies.

PubMed

Wiggs, R B; Lobprise, H B; de Lahunta, A

1994-12-01

Three of five two-day-old Miniature Schnauzer puppies were diagnosed as having 'bird-tongue,' a microglossia that prevents normal nursing. With intensive nursing care, the puppies survived to seven weeks of age, then deteriorated and were euthanized. From clinical and pathological examinations, a multi-system defect is suspected, though no primary neuromuscular abnormality could be determined.

Basolateral amygdala volume and cell numbers in major depressive disorder: a postmortem stereological study.

PubMed

Rubinow, Marisa J; Mahajan, Gouri; May, Warren; Overholser, James C; Jurjus, George J; Dieter, Lesa; Herbst, Nicole; Steffens, David C; Miguel-Hidalgo, Jose J; Rajkowska, Grazyna; Stockmeier, Craig A

2016-01-01

Functional imaging studies consistently report abnormal amygdala activity in major depressive disorder (MDD). Neuroanatomical correlates are less clear: imaging studies have produced mixed results on amygdala volume, and postmortem neuroanatomic studies have only examined cell densities in portions of the amygdala or its subregions in MDD. Here, we present a stereological analysis of the volume of, and the total number of, neurons, glia, and neurovascular (pericyte and endothelial) cells in the basolateral amygdala in MDD. Postmortem tissues from 13 subjects with MDD and 10 controls were examined. Sections (~15/subject) taken throughout the rostral-caudal extent of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) were stained for Nissl substance and utilized for stereological estimation of volume and cell numbers. Results indicate that depressed subjects had a larger lateral nucleus than controls and a greater number of total BLA neurovascular cells than controls. There were no differences in the number or density of neurons or glia between depressed and control subjects. These findings present a more detailed picture of BLA cellular anatomy in depression than has previously been available. Further studies are needed to determine whether the greater number of neurovascular cells in depressed subjects may be related to increased amygdala activity in depression.

Epidemiological features of fasciolosis in working donkeys in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Getachew, M; Innocent, G T; Trawford, A F; Reid, S W J; Love, S

2010-05-11

A cross-sectional coprological survey in the tropical regions of Ada, Akaki, Bereh and Boset, and a retrospective post-mortem investigation were conducted to study the epidemiology of fasciolosis in working donkeys in Ethiopia. Faecal samples from 803 donkeys were collected, and the number of liver flukes recovered from 112 donkeys at post-mortem between 1995 and 2004 were analysed. There was a high prevalence of fasciolosis irrespective of the age of the donkeys. The overall prevalence of the infection was 44.4% in coprologically examined donkeys, and the prevalence in the donkeys examined post-mortem was 41.9%. The infection prevalence was significantly higher in Bereh and Ada regions than in Akaki and Boset regions. Bereh with 72.6% and Boset with 21.5% showed a significantly higher and lower infection prevalence, respectively, than the rest of the regions (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between different age groups of donkeys in the infection prevalence (P>0.05) but infection intensity was significantly higher in donkeys 8 years old and above (P<0.0001). Both Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica were identified. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Considerations for optimal use of postmortem human brains for molecular psychiatry: lessons from schizophrenia.

PubMed

Weickert, Cynthia Shannon; Rothmond, Debora A; Purves-Tyson, Tertia D

2018-01-01

Schizophrenia is a disabling disease impacting millions of people around the world, for which there is no known cure. Current antipsychotic treatments for schizophrenia mainly target psychotic symptoms, do little to ameliorate social or cognitive deficits, have side-effects that cause weight gain, and diabetes and 30% of people do not respond. Thus, better therapeutics for schizophrenia aimed at the route biologic changes are needed and discovering the underlying neurobiology is key to this quest. Postmortem brain studies provide the most direct and detailed way to determine the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This chapter outlines steps that can be taken to ensure the best-quality molecular data from postmortem brain tissue are obtained. In this chapter, we also discuss targeted and high-throughput methods for examining gene and protein expression and some of the strengths and limitations of each method. We briefly consider why gene and protein expression changes may not always concur within brain tissue. We conclude that postmortem brain research that investigates gene and protein expression in well-characterized and matched brain cohorts provides an important foundation to be considered when interpreting data obtained from studies of living schizophrenia patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

GrinLine identification using digital imaging and Adobe Photoshop.

PubMed

Bollinger, Susan A; Brumit, Paula C; Schrader, Bruce A; Senn, David R

2009-03-01

The purpose of this study was to outline a method by which an antemortem photograph of a victim can be critically compared with a postmortem photograph in an effort to facilitate the identification process. Ten subjects, between 27 and 55 years old provided historical pictures of themselves exhibiting a broad smile showing anterior teeth to some extent (a grin). These photos were termed "antemortem" for the purpose of the study. A digital camera was used to take a current photo of each subject's grin. These photos represented the "postmortem" images. A single subject's "postmortem" photo set was randomly selected to be the "unknown victim." These combined data of the unknown and the 10 antemortem subjects were digitally stored and, using Adobe Photoshop software, the images were sized and oriented for comparative analysis. The goal was to devise a technique that could facilitate the accurate determination of which "antemortem" subject was the "unknown." The generation of antemortem digital overlays of the teeth visible in a grin and the comparison of those overlays to the images of the postmortem dentition is the foundation of the technique. The comparisons made using the GrinLine Identification Technique may assist medical examiners and coroners in making identifications or exclusions.

Differential Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Preservation in Post-Mortem Teeth with Implications for Forensic and Ancient DNA Studies

PubMed Central

Higgins, Denice; Rohrlach, Adam B.; Kaidonis, John; Townsend, Grant; Austin, Jeremy J.

2015-01-01

Major advances in genetic analysis of skeletal remains have been made over the last decade, primarily due to improvements in post-DNA-extraction techniques. Despite this, a key challenge for DNA analysis of skeletal remains is the limited yield of DNA recovered from these poorly preserved samples. Enhanced DNA recovery by improved sampling and extraction techniques would allow further advancements. However, little is known about the post-mortem kinetics of DNA degradation and whether the rate of degradation varies between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA or across different skeletal tissues. This knowledge, along with information regarding ante-mortem DNA distribution within skeletal elements, would inform sampling protocols facilitating development of improved extraction processes. Here we present a combined genetic and histological examination of DNA content and rates of DNA degradation in the different tooth tissues of 150 human molars over short-medium post-mortem intervals. DNA was extracted from coronal dentine, root dentine, cementum and pulp of 114 teeth via a silica column method and the remaining 36 teeth were examined histologically. Real time quantification assays based on two nuclear DNA fragments (67 bp and 156 bp) and one mitochondrial DNA fragment (77 bp) showed nuclear and mitochondrial DNA degraded exponentially, but at different rates, depending on post-mortem interval and soil temperature. In contrast to previous studies, we identified differential survival of nuclear and mtDNA in different tooth tissues. Futhermore histological examination showed pulp and dentine were rapidly affected by loss of structural integrity, and pulp was completely destroyed in a relatively short time period. Conversely, cementum showed little structural change over the same time period. Finally, we confirm that targeted sampling of cementum from teeth buried for up to 16 months can provide a reliable source of nuclear DNA for STR-based genotyping using standard extraction methods, without the need for specialised equipment or large-volume demineralisation steps. PMID:25992635

A comparison of two methods for surveying mortality of beached birds in British Columbia.

PubMed Central

Stephen, C; Burger, A E

1994-01-01

Systematic surveys of beached birds are often limited in their ability to classify the causes of death of the carcasses recovered. Two methods of determining the cause of death of seabirds encountered during surveys of beaches of southwestern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, are compared. Birds were either subjected to external visual examinations by volunteer beach surveyors or submitted for gross postmortem examination by a veterinarian. The reliance on external examination of birds on beaches often prevented the accurate classification of the reproductive status and cause of death of the birds collected, but was valuable for describing the species, locations, and numbers of birds affected. The use of gross postmortem examinations of carcasses allowed for a more refined classification of the cause of death, as well as providing reliable descriptions of the bodily condition and sex of the birds examined. However, almost one half of the carcasses encountered were unsuitable for necropsy because of scavenging and decomposition. It is concluded that a combination of field and necropsy observations provides a useful method with which to monitor the pattern of mortality of beached seabirds. PMID:7994705

Taenia spp. infections in wildlife in the Bangweulu and Kafue flood plains ecosystems of Zambia.

PubMed

Muma, J B; Gabriël, S; Munyeme, M; Munang'andu, H M; Victor, B; Dorny, P; Nalubamba, K S; Siamudaala, V; Mwape, K E

2014-09-15

Taenia spp. have an indirect life cycle, cycling between a definitive and an intermediate host with zoonotic species causing public health problems in many developing countries. During the course of 2 separate surveys in Zambia (2004 and 2009), the presence of Taenia larval stages (cysticerci) was examined in Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis), Black lechwe (Kobus leche smithermani) and other wildlife species from the Kafue and Bangweulu flood plains. Examinations involved post-mortem inspection and serum specific antigen detection. The recovered cysts from seven carcasses were characterised using PCR and DNA sequence analysis. The overall proportion of infection in wildlife on post-mortem examination was 19.0% (95% CI: 9.1-29.0%). The proportion of infected wildlife based on post-mortem examinations in the Kafue flood plains was estimated at 28.6% (95% CI: 13.3-43.9%), while the seroprevalence was estimated at 25.0% (95% CI: 2.9-47.1%). The seroprevalence for cattle in the Kafue flood plains was estimated at 61.5% (95% CI: 42.0-81.0%) while that of Kafue lechwe in the same ecosystem was estimated at 66.6% (95% CI: 45.6-85.7%). Infection rates were higher in Kafue lechwe than in Black lechwe suggesting differences in the exposure patterns. The sequencing results indicated that none of the recovered cysts were either Taenia solium or Taenia saginata. We therefore conclude they most likely belong to a less studied (wildlife) Taenia species that requires further characterisation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An unusual case of relay pentobarbital toxicosis in a dog.

PubMed

Bischoff, Karyn; Jaeger, Robin; Ebel, Joseph G

2011-09-01

Sodium pentobarbital and phenytoin are common constituents of veterinary euthanasia solutions in the United States. Relay, or secondary, barbiturate toxicosis has been reported in carnivorous animals that have fed from the carcasses of euthanized livestock. This case report presents barbiturate toxicosis in a dog. A 2-year-old female spayed Australian shepherd presented comatose 2 h after ingesting an unknown substance on the beach. The material was retrieved from the stomach by gastric lavage and visually identified as fish or other animal tissue. The dog recovered with symptomatic and supportive therapy and was released on the third day of hospitalization. Tissue found on the beach near where the dog walked and a urine sample from the dog were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Both samples were positive for pentobarbital and phenytoin. The tissue was consistent with mammalian blubber based on gross and histological examination. Three weeks previously, a juvenile humpback whale had stranded on the beach where the dog had ingested the unknown substance. The whale had been euthanized with a barbiturate solution, necropsied, and removed from the beach. It was not definitively determined that the pentobarbital-containing blubber ingested by the dog was from the euthanized whale, but that was the most likely source. Although attempts were made to remove the whale's remains from the beach, practical considerations made complete removal challenging, if not impossible.

Occurrence of primary lymphocytic hypophysitis in two horses and presence of scattered T-lymphocytes in the normal equine pituitary gland.

PubMed

Grau-Roma, Llorenç; Peckham, Robert; Paton, Jacqui; Stahel, Anina; de Brot, Simone

2017-01-01

The postmortem examination of a 14-y-old Appaloosa gelding with clinically diagnosed pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction showed a unique finding of moderate multifocal lymphocytic hypophysitis (LH). The pituitary glands of 24 horses submitted for postmortem examination were examined grossly and examined histologically for the presence of lymphocytes. Of these 23 horses, 1 additional case suffered from moderate LH. The 2 cases with LH tested negative for Equid herpesvirus 1 and 4 by polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry (IHC), and no viral particles were observed by electron microscopy in 1 case examined. The cause of LH remains unknown, but based on the T-lymphocytic nature of the inflammation and the human literature, an immune-mediated origin is hypothesized. In addition, the review of 24 cases revealed that 10 horses had few and small multifocal lymphocytic infiltrates within the pituitary gland; the remaining 12 horses showed no evident lymphocytes when examined by hematoxylin and eosin. IHC for CD3 showed the presence of a small number of individual T-lymphocytes scattered through the gland in all examined horses, which appears therefore to be a normal feature of the pituitary gland in horses.

Diagnosis of myocardial ischemia combining multiphase postmortem CT-angiography, histology, and postmortem biochemistry.

PubMed

Vanhaebost, Jessica; Ducrot, Kewin; de Froidmont, Sébastien; Scarpelli, Maria Pia; Egger, Coraline; Baumann, Pia; Schmit, Gregory; Grabherr, Silke; Palmiere, Cristian

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to assess whether the identification of pathological myocardial enhancement at multiphase postmortem computed tomography angiography was correlated with increased levels of troponin T and I in postmortem serum from femoral blood as well as morphological findings of myocardial ischemia. We further aimed to investigate whether autopsy cases characterized by increased troponin T and I concentrations as well as morphological findings of myocardial ischemia were also characterized by pathological myocardial enhancement at multiphase postmortem computed tomography angiography. Two different approaches were used. In one, 40 forensic autopsy cases that had pathological enhancement of the myocardium (mean Hounsfield units ≥95) observed at postmortem angiography were retrospectively selected. In the second approach, 40 forensic autopsy cases that had a cause of death attributed to acute myocardial ischemia were retrospectively selected. The preliminary results seem to indicate that the identification of a pathological enhancement of the myocardium at postmortem angiography is associated with the presence of increased levels of cardiac troponins in postmortem serum and morphological findings of ischemia. Analogously, a pathological enhancement of the myocardium at postmortem angiography can be retrospectively found in the great majority of autopsy cases characterized by increased cardiac troponin levels in postmortem serum and morphological findings of myocardial ischemia. Multiphase postmortem computed tomography angiography is a useful tool in the postmortem setting for investigating ischemically damaged myocardium.

Relationship between sudden natural death and abdominal fat evaluated on postmortem CT scans.

PubMed

Kaichi, Y; Sakane, H; Higashibori, H; Honda, Y; Tatsugami, F; Baba, Y; Iida, M; Awai, K

2017-06-01

This study examined the association between sudden natural death and abdominal fat using postmortem computed tomography (CT) scans. Postmortem CT images at the umbilical level of 241 subjects were used to measure abdominal areas of subcutaneous- and visceral fat, the rate of visceral fat and the waist circumference. Of the study subjects, 174 died of sudden natural death (130 men and 44 women), and 67 died of different causes (46 men and 21 women). All were between 40 and 75 years of age. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent abdominal parameters associated with sudden natural death. By univariate analysis, the areas of subcutaneous and visceral fat were significantly larger in sudden natural death than who died of different causes (subcutaneous fat, odds ratio [OR] = 1.004, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.000-1.007, p  = 0.03; visceral fat, OR = 1.008, 95% CI = 1.003-1.013, p  < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that the area of visceral fat was an independent factor associated with the risk of sudden natural death (OR = 1.008, 95% CI = 1.002-1.015, p  = 0.02). Postmortem CT revealed that sudden natural death was related to abdominal fat deposits.

Postmortem in vitro ethanol production-It could be more common than we think!

PubMed

Quintas, Maria José; Costa, Pedro; Melo, Paula; Castro, André; Franco, João Miguel; Teixeira, Helena M

2017-05-01

The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the most frequent determination in a Forensic Toxicology Laboratory. Despite its apparent simplicity, the results interpretation can be complex and always have relevant social and legal implications, particularly in postmortem analysis. In the present report we describe the case of a 55-year-old male with an apparent natural death by myocardial infarction, whose initial BAC was 0.18g/L but, in repeated determinations prompted by discrepancies observed in the first two, it rapidly increased to 0.85g/L three days later, leading to the suspicion of in vitro ethanol production. A microbiological examination of the sample revealed the presence of the bacteria Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis, and yeast Candida parapsilosis, known for their involvement in ethanol production. Although this is a case report and it is not meant to be generalizable, we discuss an existing large body of scientific literature showing the difficulties, limitations and some relevant medico-legal questions regarding BAC determinations in postmortem samples and their interpretation, particularly in the context of plausible in vitro ethanol production. The key conclusion is that evaluating a postmortem BAC is a complex and multifactorial process that always deserves a thorough analysis and a careful interpretation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Supraorbital Postmortem Brain Sampling for Definitive Quantitative Confirmation of Cerebral Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum Parasites

PubMed Central

Milner, Danny A.; Valim, Clarissa; Luo, Robert; Playforth, Krupa B.; Kamiza, Steve; Molyneux, Malcolm E.; Seydel, Karl B.; Taylor, Terrie E.

2012-01-01

Background The conventional clinical case definition of cerebral malaria (CM) is imprecise but specificity is improved by a definitive clinical feature such as retinopathy or confirming sequestration of parasites in a post-mortem examination of the brain. A full autopsy is often not possible, since it is costly and may encounter resistance of the deceased's family. Methods We have assessed the use of a cytological smear of brain tissue, obtained post-mortem by supraorbital sampling, for the purpose of quantifying cerebral sequestration in children with fatal malaria in Blantyre, Malawi. We have compared this method to histological quantification of parasites at autopsy. Results The number of parasites present on cytological smears correlated with the proportion of vessels parasitized as assessed by histology of fixed and stained brain tissue. Use of cytological results in addition to the standard clinical case definition increases the specificity of the clinical case definition alone from 48.3% to 100% with a minimal change in sensitivity. Conclusions Post-mortem supraorbital sampling of brain tissue improves the specificity of the diagnosis of fatal cerebral malaria and provides accurate quantitative estimates of cerebral sequestration. This tool can be of great value in clinical, pathogenetic, and epidemiological research studies on cerebral malaria. PMID:22291197

[The role of endotracheal aspiration in the diagnosis of ventilator associated pneumonia].

PubMed

Gürgün, Alev; Korkmaz Ekren, Pervin; Bacakoğlu, Feza; Başoğlu, Ozen Kaçmaz; Dirican, Nigar; Aydemir, Şöhret; Nart, Deniz; Sayıner, Abdullah

2013-01-01

Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most important causes of mortality in patients treated with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in intensive care unit (ICU). Microbiological examinations are required as clinical and radiological findings are usually insufficient in the diagnosis. Twenty four patients who were receiving IMV because of respiratory failure, had a Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS) of ≥ 6 in the follow-up and died with the suspicion of VAP were enrolled in our study. Six patients were excluded as post-mortem biopsy could not be performed. The patients who had pre-mortem CPIS ≥ 6, in whom a causative organism was identified from the culture of post-mortem lung biopsy and/or histopathological examination of lung biopsy was compatible with pneumonia were diagnosed as VAP. In the 18 patients in whom a post-mortem lung biopsy was performed, quantitative culture results of endotracheal aspirate performed 48 hours prior to death were compared with microbiological and histopathological results of post-mortem lung biopsy specimens, and the role of endotracheal aspirate in the diagnosis of VAP was evaluated retrospectively. Out of 18 patients (12 men, mean age 67.0 ± 13.0 years) included in the study, 11 (61.1%) were diagnosed as VAP. The quantitative culture of endotracheal aspirate was positive in 9 (81.8%) out of 11 patients diagnosed as VAP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of endotracheal aspirate culture for identifying VAP were found to be 81.8%, 14.3%, 60.0% and 33.3%, respectively. Our study shown that quantitative culture of endotracheal aspirate is a practical and reliable method that can be used for the diagnosis of VAP in patients receiving IMV in ICU and having CPIS ≥ 6.

Prevalence of Atherosclerotic Coronary Stenosis in Asymptomatic North Indian Population: A Post-mortem Coronary Angiography Study.

PubMed

Bansal, Yogender Singh; Mandal, Shatrugan Prasad; Kumar, Senthil; Setia, Puneet

2015-09-01

A preliminary study of coronaries using post-mortem angiography was undertaken to see the prevalence of atherosclerotic coronary stenosis in non-cardiac unnatural deaths. This study was conducted in a tertiary care centre located in Chandigarh. A total of 128 medico-legal cases were studied comprising 88 males and 40 females. Post-mortem examinations of these MLC cases were conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh. All hearts were visually screened by post-mortem coronary angiography first and then grossly examined using serial transverse incision technique in positive screening cases to find the degree of narrowing. Of the study group, 34% males and 20% females showed evidence of narrowing on angiography. Of the males showing coronary stenosis, 83% had single vessel disease and 13% had double vessel disease, while only one individual had triple vessel disease. In cases of female, all the cases of coronary stenosis were single vessel disease. Left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was the most common vessel involved, followed by right coronary artery (RCA) & Left circumflex artery (LCX) and in cases of double vessel disease, LAD in combination with LCX was responsible for 75% of the cases. Remarkably 23.6% of study population in the age group of less than 40 years showed appreciable narrowing in at least one of the coronaries. In general, the prevalence of CAD is on the rise, particularly in younger population owing to the changes in their lifestyle and food habits. This preliminary study revealed evidence of narrowing of at least one coronary in 34% male and 20% female population and 23.6% subjects were less than 40 years old. Further detailed studies are needed especially in younger age group and to support the need for preventive cardiology in the early years of life.

Quantification of interstitial fluid on whole body CT: comparison with whole body autopsy.

PubMed

Lo Gullo, Roberto; Mishra, Shelly; Lira, Diego A; Padole, Atul; Otrakji, Alexi; Khawaja, Ranish Deedar Ali; Pourjabbar, Sarvenaz; Singh, Sarabjeet; Shepard, Jo-Anne O; Digumarthy, Subba R; Kalra, Mannudeep K; Stone, James R

2015-12-01

Interstitial fluid accumulation can occur in pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal spaces, and subcutaneous tissue planes. The purpose of the study was to assess if whole body CT examination in a postmortem setting could help determine the presence and severity of third space fluid accumulation in the body. Our study included 41 human cadavers (mean age 61 years, 25 males and 16 females) who had whole-body postmortem CT prior to autopsy. All bodies were maintained in the morgue in the time interval between death and autopsy. Two radiologists reviewed the whole-body CT examinations independently to grade third space fluid in the pleura, pericardium, peritoneum, and subcutaneous space using a 5-point grading system. Qualitative CT grading for third space fluid was correlated with the amount of fluid found on autopsy and the quantitative CT fluid volume, estimated using a dedicated software program (Volume, Syngo Explorer, Siemens Healthcare). Moderate and severe peripheral edema was seen in 16/41 and 7/41 cadavers respectively. It is not possible to quantify anasarca at autopsy. Correlation between imaging data for third space fluid and the quantity of fluid found during autopsy was 0.83 for pleural effusion, 0.4 for pericardial effusion and 0.9 for ascites. The degree of anasarca was significantly correlated with the severity of ascites (p < 0.0001) but not with pleural or pericardial effusion. There was strong correlation between volumetric estimation and qualitative grading for anasarca (p < 0.0001) and pleural effusion (p < 0.0001). Postmortem CT can help in accurate detection and quantification of third space fluid accumulation. The quantity of ascitic fluid on postmortem CT can predict the extent of anasarca.

[Forensic Analysis of 6 Cases of Sudden Death due to Hyperthyroid Heart Disease].

PubMed

Zhang, M Z; Li, B X; Zhao, R; Guan, D W; Zhang, G H; Wu, X; Zhu, B L; Li, R B

2017-10-01

To analyse the cases of sudden death due to hyperthyroid heart disease, and explore the general information of deaths and the forensic pathological characteristics to provide reference evidence for forensic identification of such cases. Six cases of sudden death due to hyperthyroid heart disease between 2001 and 2016 were selected from School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University. The general information （gender and age）, clinical manifestations, medical history, anatomical and histopathological findings, biochemical parameters and cause of death were analysed retrospectively. Most of the 6 patients had definite history of hyperthyroidism, and they all showed certain degrees of symptoms of cardiovascular disease; had obvious incentive factors of death; histopathological examination of thyroid conformed to the performances of diffuse toxic goiter; with increase of cardiac weight, dilatation of cardiac chambers, myocardial hypertrophy and focal necrosis; postmortem biochemical analyses of pericardial fluid could be used as an additional method for diagnostic of sudden death due to hyperthyroid heart disease. The identification of death due to hyperthyroid heart disease should be based on the clinical history and the results of autopsy, histopathological examination, postmortem toxicology tests. The postmortem biochemical detection of thyroid and cardiac function should be performed if necessary. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine

Impairment of short-term memory and Korsakoff syndrome are common in AIDS patients with cytomegalovirus encephalitis.

PubMed

Pirskanen-Matell, R; Grützmeier, S; Nennesmo, I; Sandström, E; Ehrnst, A

2009-01-01

The diagnosis of cytomegalovirus encephalitis (CMV-E) in AIDS patients is challenging as other illnesses may obscure the symptoms. Here, we characterize the clinical symptoms of CMV-E and link them to post-mortem findings. Patients and methods In 254 homosexual men with AIDS, followed from HIV diagnosis to death before the antiretroviral combination therapy era, CMV-E was suspected in 93 cases. All were CMV-positive in blood. Neurological examination, including cognitive testing was performed in 34 of them within 6 months before death. CMV-E was diagnosed by CMV-PCR in cerebrospinal fluid (n = 24) or by post-mortem (n = 24). The majority complained of forgetfulness (91%), balance difficulties (85%) and impotence (85%). Impaired short-term memory was present in 29 patients. It was extreme in 17, justifying the diagnosis of Korsakoff's syndrome. This was often associated with infectious CMV in blood (P = 0.01). Brainstem symptoms were found in 19 patients. Post-mortem examination often revealed ventriculoencephalitis. CMV was found primarily around the ventricles and in other structures, described in Korsakoff's syndrome. The location of CMV in the brain corresponded well to the clinical findings, demonstrating the close relationship between the neurological symptoms and the neuroanatomical lesions.

Prevalence of gabapentin in drug overdose postmortem toxicology testing results.

PubMed

Slavova, Svetla; Miller, Alison; Bunn, Terry L; White, Jessica R; Kirschke, David; Light, Tom; Christy, Daniel; Thompson, Gary; Winecker, Ruth

2018-05-01

The goal of this study was to establish and compare baseline data on the prevalence of gabapentin identified through postmortem toxicology testing among drug overdose decedents in several geographically diverse states/jurisdictions with differing levels of drug overdose fatality burdens in 2015. Death certificates and postmortem toxicology result reports from five U.S. jurisdictions were used to identify residents who died from drug overdoses in year 2015 and to calculate prevalence rates of gabapentin in postmortem toxicology by jurisdiction. On average, 22% of all drug overdose decedents in our study tested positive for gabapentin. The percentage of gabapentin-positive overdose deaths varied significantly among jurisdictions: 4% in Northeast Tennessee, 7% in Maricopa County, 15% in West Virginia, 20% in North Carolina, and 41% in Kentucky (p < 0.0001). Among the drug overdose decedents who tested positive for opioids (including heroin), 26% also tested positive for gabapentin, with significant variation among states/jurisdictions (p < 0.0001). There was a significant difference in the gender distribution among drug overdose decedents who tested positive for gabapentin (46% male) vs. those who tested negative for gabapentin (65% male) (p < 0.0001). In Kentucky, gabapentin was listed as a contributing drug on the death certificate in 40% of the overdose deaths with gabapentin-positive toxicology; in North Carolina this percentage was 57%. Routine gabapentin postmortem testing and linking of death certificate, medical examiner, coroner, toxicology, and prescription history data will provide more reliable information on the extent of gabapentin misuse, diversion, and implications for clinical care. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cryptococcosis in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Patients Clinically Confirmed and/or Diagnosed at Necropsy in a Teaching Hospital in Brazil

PubMed Central

Garcia Torres, Rafael; Etchebehere, Renata Margarida; Adad, Sheila Jorge; Micheletti, Adilha Rua; Ribeiro, Barbara de Melo; Silva, Leonardo Eurípedes Andrade; Mora, Delio Jose; Paim, Kennio Ferreira; Silva-Vergara, Mario León

2016-01-01

Cryptococcosis occurs in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with poor compliance to antiretroviral therapy or unaware of their human immunodeficiency virus status who present severe immunosuppression at admission. Consequently, high mortality rates are observed due to disseminated fungal infection. This report presents clinical and postmortem data of AIDS patients with cryptococcosis in a teaching hospital in Brazil. Retrospectively, medical and necropsy records of AIDS patients with cryptococcosis clinically confirmed and/or postmortem verified were reviewed. Clinical data were compared with those of patients presenting a good outcome to evaluate disseminated fungal infection and the agreement between clinical and postmortem diagnosis. At admission, most of the 45 patients with cryptococcal meningitis who died, presented more altered consciousness (P = 0.0047), intracranial increased pressure (P = 0.047), and severe malnutrition (P = 0.0006) than the survivors. Of 29 (64.4%) patients with cryptococcal meningitis, 23 died before week 2 on antifungal therapy, and the other six during the next 3 months. The remaining 16 (35.6%) cases had other diagnoses and died soon after. At necropsy, 31 (68.9%) presented disseminated infection involving two or more organs, whereas 14 (31.1%) cases had meningeal or pulmonary localized infection. The agreement of 64.4% between clinical and postmortem diagnosis was similar to some studies. However, other reports have shown figures ranging from 34% to 95%. Currently, a progressive worldwide decrease of autopsies is worrying because the role of postmortem examination is pivotal to verify or identify the death causes, which contributes to improve the quality of clinical diagnosis and medical training. PMID:27458037

Disrupted Sleep in Narcolepsy: Exploring the Integrity of Galanin Neurons in the Ventrolateral Preoptic Area

PubMed Central

Gavrilov, Yury V.; Ellison, Brian A.; Yamamoto, Mihoko; Reddy, Hasini; Haybaeck, Johannes; Mignot, Emmanuel; Baumann, Christian R.; Scammell, Thomas E.; Valko, Philipp O.

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: To examine the integrity of sleep-promoting neurons of the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) in postmortem brains of narcolepsy type 1 patients. Methods: Postmortem examination of five narcolepsy and eight control brains. Results: VLPO galanin neuron count did not differ between narcolepsy patients (11,151 ± 3,656) and controls (13,526 ± 9,544). Conclusions: A normal number of galanin-immunoreactive VLPO neurons in narcolepsy type 1 brains at autopsy suggests that VLPO cell loss is an unlikely explanation for the sleep fragmentation that often accompanies the disease. Citation: Gavrilov YV, Ellison BA, Yamamoto M, Reddy H, Haybaeck J, Mignot E, Baumann CR, Scammell TE, Valko PO. Disrupted sleep in narcolepsy: exploring the integrity of galanin neurons in the ventrolateral preoptic area. SLEEP 2016;39(5):1059–1062. PMID:26951397

Fatal air embolism during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): An 'impossible' diagnosis for the forensic pathologist.

PubMed

Marchesi, Matteo; Battistini, Alessio; Pellegrinelli, Moira; Gentile, Guendalina; Zoja, Riccardo

2016-01-01

Fatal air embolism related to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a very rare phenomenon. The authors describe the case of a 51-year-old female patient who developed this mortal complication; a computed tomography (CT) examination was performed in articulo mortis by the physicians. Autopsy was unreliable because of bizarre post-mortem changes (reabsorption of intra-cardiac gas vs. conservation of intra-cranial gas) and a lack of strong diagnostic value of histological findings. The right diagnosis was possible thanks only to the CT examination that permitted the assumption of this possible cause of death before the autopsy and to prepare the necessary procedures to recognise and probe air embolism. This case exemplifies how early post-mortem imaging can be crucial to avoid a wrong diagnosis. © The Author(s) 2015.

Methamphetamine and amphetamine concentrations in postmortem rabbit tissues.

PubMed

Nagata, T; Kimura, K; Hara, K; Kudo, K

1990-11-01

The feasibility of detecting methamphetamine and its major metabolite, amphetamine, in postmortem tissues over a 2-year period was examined. It is important to determine if the abuse and toxic effects of drugs can be proved from evidence found in decayed, submerged, or stained tissue materials. The blood, urine, liver, skeletal muscle, skin and extremity bones from rabbits given methamphetamine intravenously were kept at room temperature, under 4 different conditions: sealed in a test tube, dried in the open air, submerged in tap water and stained on gauze. Methamphetamine was present in all the samples, with slight change in concentration in case of sealed and air dried tissues. Changes varied in bones kept in water. There were considerable decreases in methamphetamine in blood and urine stains. Despite long term storage, drug abuse and/or toxicity could be determined, in all tissues examined.

Toxic smoke inhalation in fire victim dogs.

PubMed

Stern, A W; Lewis, R J; Thompson, K S

2014-11-01

Fifteen dogs were found dead in a house that was on fire. Several of these dogs were partially burned. Four dogs were submitted for postmortem examination, 2 of which were determined to have died prior to the fire. Of the 2 submitted fire fatalities, only 1 dog had burns on its body (dorsum and right side of body). Internally, both dogs had soot deposits mixed with mucus in the larynx, trachea, and primary bronchi. Microscopically, soot was identified within both airways and alveolar spaces. There were no macroscopic or microscopic indications of vital heat exposure. High levels of carboxyhemoglobin were detected in the 2 dogs tested. The findings in this case support the use of postmortem examination and toxicology testing to allow for determination of vital reaction to heat and fire fumes. © The Author(s) 2014.

Dutch guideline for clinical foetal-neonatal and paediatric post-mortem radiology, including a review of literature.

PubMed

Sonnemans, L J P; Vester, M E M; Kolsteren, E E M; Erwich, J J H M; Nikkels, P G J; Kint, P A M; van Rijn, R R; Klein, W M

2018-06-01

Clinical post-mortem radiology is a relatively new field of expertise and not common practice in most hospitals yet. With the declining numbers of autopsies and increasing demand for quality control of clinical care, post-mortem radiology can offer a solution, or at least be complementary. A working group consisting of radiologists, pathologists and other clinical medical specialists reviewed and evaluated the literature on the diagnostic value of post-mortem conventional radiography (CR), ultrasonography, computed tomography (PMCT), magnetic resonance imaging (PMMRI), and minimally invasive autopsy (MIA). Evidence tables were built and subsequently a Dutch national evidence-based guideline for post-mortem radiology was developed. We present this evaluation of the radiological modalities in a clinical post-mortem setting, including MIA, as well as the recently published Dutch guidelines for post-mortem radiology in foetuses, neonates, and children. In general, for post-mortem radiology modalities, PMMRI is the modality of choice in foetuses, neonates, and infants, whereas PMCT is advised in older children. There is a limited role for post-mortem CR and ultrasonography. In most cases, conventional autopsy will remain the diagnostic method of choice. Based on a literature review and clinical expertise, an evidence-based guideline was developed for post-mortem radiology of foetal, neonatal, and paediatric patients. What is Known: • Post-mortem investigations serve as a quality check for the provided health care and are important for reliable epidemiological registration. • Post-mortem radiology, sometimes combined with minimally invasive techniques, is considered as an adjunct or alternative to autopsy. What is New: • We present the Dutch guidelines for post-mortem radiology in foetuses, neonates and children. • Autopsy remains the reference standard, however minimal invasive autopsy with a skeletal survey, post-mortem computed tomography, or post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging can be complementary thereof.

Effectiveness of a nonpenetrating captive bolt for euthanasia of piglets less than 3 d of age.

PubMed

Casey-Trott, T M; Millman, S T; Turner, P V; Nykamp, S G; Widowski, T M

2013-11-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a nonpenetrating captive bolt (NPCB), the Zephyr-Euthanasia (Zephyr-E), for euthanasia of neonatal piglets<72 h of age using signs of insensibility and death, as well as postmortem assessment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Zephyr-E was used by 10 stock people to euthanize 100 low viability neonatal piglets from 3 commercial farrowing units and 1 research farm. Brainstem reflexes, convulsions, and heartbeat were used to assess insensibility, time of brain death, and cardiac arrest after Zephyr-E application. Hemorrhage severity and skull fracture displacement (FD) were quantified from computed tomography scans (n=10), macroscopic scoring was used to assess brain hemorrhage and skull fracture (SK) severity (n=100), and microscopic scoring was used to assess subdural (SDH) and parenchymal (PH) hemorrhage within specific brain regions that are responsible for consciousness and vital function (n=10). All 100 piglets were rendered immediately insensible without return to sensibility. On average, clonic convulsions (CC) ceased in 101 s (±7.4 SE), brain death was achieved in 229 s (±9.18 SE), and cardiac arrest occurred in 420 s (±13.57 SE). Time of cardiac arrest differed significantly among stock people when either body weight (BW: P=0.0053) or body mass index (BMI: P=0.0059) was used as a covariate. The BMI was inversely related to the duration of CC (P=0.0227). Moderate to severe hemorrhage severity was reported in 9 of 10 piglets. There was no relationship between FD and BW (P=0.8408) or BMI (P=0.6439). Macroscopic analyses indicated moderate to severe hemorrhage and SK in all piglets. No differences were found among brain sections for SDH (P=0.2302); PH was greater in the cerebral cortex than in the midbrain and brainstem (P=0.0328). The Zephyr-E NPCB reliably caused immediate, sustained insensibility followed by death in neonatal piglets. Postmortem assessment confirmed that application of the Zephyr-E caused widespread, irreversible brain damage.

Sudden unexpected death due to Graves' disease during physical altercation.

PubMed

Wei, Dengming; Yuan, Xiaogang; Yang, Tiantong; Chang, Lin; Zhang, Xiang; Burke, Allen; Fowler, David; Li, Ling

2013-09-01

We report a case of a 30-year-old woman who suddenly collapsed after having a physical altercation with her husband. Despite immediate resuscitation, she died on arrival at the hospital. The victim's parents requested an autopsy because they believed that their daughter was killed by her husband. Postmortem examination revealed that the victim had a diffusely enlarged thyroid gland and cardiomegaly with left ventricular hypertrophy. There was no evidence of significant trauma on the body. Further postmortem thyroid function tests and review of her medical history indicated that her death was due to Graves' disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reported of sudden death due to cardiac arrhythmia from Graves' disease induced by physical and emotional stress associated with the criminal activity of another person. The autopsy findings are described. In addition, the literature is reviewed and the significance of postmortem evaluation of thyroid hormones in the cases of sudden death is discussed. © 2013 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Possibilities of post-mortem diagnostics, including immunodiagnostics, in cases of sudden death due to anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions.

PubMed

Kobek, M; Jankowski, Z; Chowaniec, C; Chowaniec, M; Jabłoński, C; Skowronek, R

Postmortem diagnostics of anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reaction as the cause of death in cases of sudden deaths without witnesses, as well as those in which circumstances of sudden disease and then death are known, seems to be very difficult. This is caused by the lack of characteristic macro- or microscopic changes to internal organs resulting from a short, or even very short time, that elapses from the action of the etiological factor till death. In the above mentioned cases it is often impossible to establish univocally the cause of death, despite considering information on the cause of disease and its clinical symptoms. On the basis of 2 cases of sudden deaths resulted from the intake of hazel nuts, and the administration of contrast agent before radiological examination, the authors discuss the usefulness of postmortem determinations of tryptase and IgE in blood for diagnostics of deaths resulting from anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reaction, respectively.

Representation of cerebral bridging veins in infants by postmortem computed tomography.

PubMed

Stein, Kirsten Marion; Ruf, Katharina; Ganten, Maria Katharina; Mattern, Rainer

2006-11-10

The postmortem diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome, a severe form of child abuse, may be difficult, especially when no other visible signs of significant trauma are obvious. An important finding in shaken baby syndrome is subdural haemorrhage, typically originating from ruptured cerebral bridging veins. Since these are difficult to detect at autopsy, we have developed a special postmortem computed tomographic (PMCT) method to demonstrate the intracranial vein system in infants. This method is minimally invasive and can be carried out conveniently and quickly on clinical computed tomography (CT) systems. Firstly, a precontrast CT is made of the infant's head, to document the original state. Secondly, contrast fluid is injected manually via fontanel puncture into the superior sagittal sinus, followed by a repeat CT scan. This allows the depiction of even very small vessels of the deep and superficial cerebral veins, especially the bridging veins, without damaging them. Ruptures appear as extravasation of contrast medium, which helps to locate them at autopsy and examine them histologically, whenever necessary.

The criminal justice system's considerations of so-called near-virtual autopsies: the East Midlands experience.

PubMed

Jeffery, A; Raj, V; Morgan, B; West, K; Rutty, G N

2011-08-01

While several research groups champion the potential for postmortem CT (PMCT) to replace the invasive postmortem (PM), many questions still remain. Perhaps the two most important questions are whether PMCT can provide the same level of information as an invasive PM, and arguably more importantly, can it meet the needs of the end users of the PM report. Through a comparative analysis of invasive post-mortem and CT findings and a questionnaire based qualitative thematic analysis, the authors have sought to answer these questions. Here, the authors show that PMCT is good at providing accurate causes of death and that the interpretation of cases is not significantly altered by the absence of histology. The authors show that in straightforward trauma deaths such as road traffic incidents, there exists the potential for the replacement of the invasive PM by PMCT examination. However, as yet, PMCT cannot provide all of the information that is expected by the criminal justice system in complex forensic cases.

Effects of intrauterine retention and postmortem interval on body weight following intrauterine death: implications for assessment of fetal growth restriction at autopsy.

PubMed

Man, J; Hutchinson, J C; Ashworth, M; Heazell, A E; Levine, S; Sebire, N J

2016-11-01

According to the classification system used, 15-60% of stillbirths remain unexplained, despite undergoing recommended autopsy examination, with variable attribution of fetal growth restriction (FGR) as a cause of death. Distinguishing small-for-gestational age (SGA) from pathological FGR is a challenge at postmortem examination. This study uses data from a large, well-characterized series of intrauterine death autopsies to investigate the effects of secondary changes such as fetal maceration, intrauterine retention and postmortem interval on body weight. Autopsy findings from intrauterine death investigations (2005-2013 inclusive, from Great Ormond Street Hospital and St George's Hospital, London) were collated into a research database. Growth charts published by the World Health Organization were used to determine normal expected weight centiles for fetuses born ≥ 24 weeks' gestation, and the effects of intrauterine retention (maceration) and postmortem interval were calculated. There were 1064 intrauterine deaths, including 533 stillbirths ≥ 24 weeks' gestation with a recorded birth weight. Of these, 192 (36%) had an unadjusted birth weight below the 10 th centile and were defined as SGA. The majority (86%) of stillborn SGA fetuses demonstrated some degree of maceration, indicating a significant period of intrauterine retention after death. A significantly greater proportion of macerated fetuses were present in the SGA population compared with the non-SGA population (P = 0.01). There was a significant relationship between increasing intrauterine retention interval and both more severe maceration and reduction in birth weight (P < 0.0001 for both), with an average artifactual reduction in birth weight of around -0.8 SD of expected weight. There was an average 12% reduction in fetal weight between delivery and autopsy and, as postmortem interval increased, fetal weight loss increased (P = 0.0001). Based on birth weight alone, 36% of stillbirths are classified as SGA. However, fetuses lose weight in utero with increasing intrauterine retention and continue to lose weight between delivery and autopsy, resulting in erroneous overestimation of FGR. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Survey of euthanasia practices in animal shelters in Canada

PubMed Central

Caffrey, Niamh; Mounchili, Aboubakar; McConkey, Sandra; Cockram, Michael S.

2011-01-01

Questionnaires on methods of euthanasia used in Canadian animal shelters were sent to 196 Canadian animal shelters yielding 67 responses. Sodium pentobarbital injection was the only method of euthanasia used by 61% of establishments that euthanized dogs and 53% of the establishments that euthanized cats. Many of these establishments used pre-medication. Sodium pentobarbital was mostly administered intravenously but some establishments also used intracardiac and intraperitoneal routes, and some only used intracardiac administration for cats. T-61 injection was the only method of euthanasia used by 23% of the establishments that euthanized dogs and 35% of the establishments that euthanized cats. All of these establishments used pre-medication, but the percentages of establishments that only used the intravenous route for administration of T-61 in dogs and cats were 45% and 7%, respectively. Further studies on the use of T-61, and the training and provision of counselling services for staff are recommended. PMID:21461208

Survey of euthanasia practices in animal shelters in Canada.

PubMed

Caffrey, Niamh; Mounchili, Aboubakar; McConkey, Sandra; Cockram, Michael S

2011-01-01

Questionnaires on methods of euthanasia used in Canadian animal shelters were sent to 196 Canadian animal shelters yielding 67 responses. Sodium pentobarbital injection was the only method of euthanasia used by 61% of establishments that euthanized dogs and 53% of the establishments that euthanized cats. Many of these establishments used pre-medication. Sodium pentobarbital was mostly administered intravenously but some establishments also used intracardiac and intraperitoneal routes, and some only used intracardiac administration for cats. T-61 injection was the only method of euthanasia used by 23% of the establishments that euthanized dogs and 35% of the establishments that euthanized cats. All of these establishments used pre-medication, but the percentages of establishments that only used the intravenous route for administration of T-61 in dogs and cats were 45% and 7%, respectively. Further studies on the use of T-61, and the training and provision of counselling services for staff are recommended.

[Legal aspects of post-mortem radiology in the Netherlands].

PubMed

Venderink, W; Dute, J C J

2016-01-01

In the Netherlands, the application of post-mortem radiology (virtual autopsy) is on the rise. Contrary to conventional autopsy, with post-mortem radiology the body remains intact. There is uncertainty concerning the legal admissibility of post-mortem radiology, since the Dutch Corpse Disposal Act does not contain any specific regulations for this technique. Autopsy and post-mortem radiology differ significantly from a technical aspect, but these differences do not have far-reaching legal consequences from a legal perspective. Even though the body remains intact during post-mortem radiology, the bodily integrity of a deceased person is breached if it would be applied without previously obtained consent. This permission can only be obtained after the relatives are fully informed about the proposed activity. In this respect, it is not relevant which technique is used, be it post-mortem radiology or autopsy. Therefore, the other legal conditions for post-mortem radiology are essentially identical to those for autopsy.

Investigation of a Microcystis aeruginosa cyanobacterial freshwater harmful algal bloom associated with acute microcystin toxicosis in a dog.

PubMed

van der Merwe, Deon; Sebbag, Lionel; Nietfeld, Jerome C; Aubel, Mark T; Foss, Amanda; Carney, Edward

2012-07-01

Microcystin poisoning was diagnosed in a dog exposed to a Microcystis aeruginosa-dominated, freshwater, harmful algal bloom at Milford Lake, Kansas, which occurred during the summer of 2011. Lake water microcystin concentrations were determined at intervals during the summer, using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and indicated extremely high, localized microcystin concentrations of up to 126,000 ng/ml. Multiple extraction and analysis techniques were used in the determination of free and total microcystins in vomitus and liver samples from the poisoned dog. Vomitus and liver contained microcystins, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and the presence of microcystin-LR was confirmed in vomitus and liver samples using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Major toxic effects in a dog presented for treatment on the day following exposure included fulminant liver failure and coagulopathy. The patient deteriorated rapidly despite aggressive treatment and was euthanized. Postmortem lesions included diffuse, acute, massive hepatic necrosis and hemorrhage, as well as acute necrosis of the renal tubular epithelium. A diagnosis of microcystin poisoning was based on the demonstration of M. aeruginosa and microcystin-LR in the lake water, as well as in vomitus produced early in the course of the poisoning; the presence of microcystin-LR in liver tissue; and a typical clinical course including gastroenteritis and fulminant liver failure.

Differential Scavenging Among Pig, Rabbit, and Human Subjects.

PubMed

Steadman, Dawnie Wolfe; Dautartas, Angela; Kenyhercz, Michael W; Jantz, Lee M; Mundorff, Amy; Vidoli, Giovanna M

2018-04-12

Different animal species have been used as proxies for human remains in decomposition studies for decades, although few studies have sought to validate their use in research aimed at estimating the postmortem interval. This study examines 45 pig, rabbit, and human subjects placed in three seasonal trials at the Anthropology Research Facility. In an earlier paper, we found that overall decomposition trends did vary between species that could be due to differential insect and scavenger behavior. This study specifically examines if scavenger behavior differs by carrion species. Daily photographs, game camera photographs, written observations, and Total Body Score (TBS) documented scavenging and decomposition changes. Results show that raccoons were the most commonly observed vertebrate scavenger, that scavenging was most extensive in winter, and that certain human subjects were preferred over other humans and all non-human subjects. Finally, scavenging activity greatly reduces the accuracy of postmortem interval estimates based on TBS. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Consent to autopsy for neonates.

PubMed

McHaffie, H E; Fowlie, P W; Hume, R; Laing, I A; Lloyd, D J; Lyon, A J

2001-07-01

To determine parents' views on autopsy after treatment withdrawal. Face to face interviews with 59 sets of bereaved parents (108 individual parents) for whose 62 babies there had been discussion of treatment withdrawal. All except one couple were asked for permission for postmortem examination; 38% refused. The main reasons for declining were concerns about disfigurement, a wish to have the child left in peace, and a feeling that an autopsy was unnecessary because the parents had no unanswered questions. The diagnosis, the age of the child, and the approach of the consultant appeared to influence consent rates. Of those who agreed to autopsies, 92% were given the results by the neonatologist concerned. Whether or not they had agreed to the procedure, at 13 months no parent expressed regrets about their decision. Autopsy rates in the East of Scotland stand at 62%. Parents' perceptions are an important element in consent to postmortem examination.

Quantification of ante-mortem hypoxic ischemic brain injury by post-mortem cerebral magnetic resonance imaging in neonatal encephalopathy.

PubMed

Montaldo, Paolo; Chaban, Badr; Lally, Peter J; Sebire, Neil J; Taylor, Andrew M; Thayyil, Sudhin

2015-11-01

Post-mortem (PM) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used as an alternative to conventional autopsy in babies dying from neonatal encephalopathy. However, the confounding effect of post-mortem changes on the detection of ante-mortem ischemic injury is unclear. We examined whether quantitative MR measurements can accurately distinguish ante-mortem ischemic brain injury from artifacts using post-mortem MRI. We compared PM brain MRI (1.5 T Siemens, Avanto) in 7 infants who died with neonatal encephalopathy (NE) of presumed hypoxic-ischemic origin with 7 newborn infants who had sudden unexplained neonatal death (SUND controls) without evidence of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury at autopsy. We measured apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs), T1-weighted signal intensity ratios (SIRs) compared to vitreous humor and T2 relaxation times from 19 predefined brain areas typically involved in neonatal encephalopathy. There were no differences in mean ADC values, SIRs on T1-weighted images or T2 relaxation times in any of the 19 predefined brain areas between NE and SUND infants. All MRI images showed loss of cortical gray/white matter differentiation, loss of the normal high signal intensity (SI) in the posterior limb of the internal capsule on T1-weighted images, and high white matter SI on T2-weighted images. Normal post-mortem changes may be easily mistaken for ante-mortem ischemic injury, and current PM MRI quantitative assessment cannot reliably distinguish these. These findings may have important implications for appropriate interpretation of PM imaging findings, especially in medico-legal practice. Copyright © 2015 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Postmortem redistribution of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC), and 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH)

PubMed Central

Holland, Michael G.; Schwope, David M.; Stoppacher, Robert; Gillen, Shane B.; Huestis, Marilyn A.

2012-01-01

Introduction Postmortem redistribution (PMR), a well-described phenomenon in forensic toxicology for certain drugs, can result in increased central blood concentrations relative to peripheral blood concentrations. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component in cannabis or marijuana, is the illicit substance most commonly implicated in driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) cases and fatally-injured drivers. No investigation of PMR of THC in human blood has been reported to date. Methods Matched heart and iliac postmortem blood specimens were collected from 19 medical examiner cases (16 Males, 3 Females) with positive cannabinoid urine immunoassay screens. THC, its equipotent metabolite 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC) and non-psychoactive metabolite 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH) were quantified by two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with cryofocusing, with 0.5 ng/mL limits of quantification (LOQ) for all analytes. Results 10 cases had quantifiable THC and 11-OH-THC; THCCOOH was present in all 19. Median (range) heart:iliac blood ratios were 1.5 for THC (range: 0.3–3.1); 1.6 for 11-OH-THC (range: 0.3–2.7); and 1.8 for THCCOOH (range: 0.5–3.0). Discussion Cannabinoids, in general, exhibited a mean and median central: peripheral (C: P) concentration ratio of less than 2 following death. A trend was observed for greater PMR with increasing postmortem interval between death and sampling. To our knowledge, these are the first data on THC PMR in humans, providing important scientific data to aid in the interpretation of postmortem cannabinoid concentrations in medico-legal investigations. PMID:21764230

Cryptococcosis in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Patients Clinically Confirmed and/or Diagnosed at Necropsy in a Teaching Hospital in Brazil.

PubMed

Torres, Rafael Garcia; Etchebehere, Renata Margarida; Adad, Sheila Jorge; Micheletti, Adilha Rua; Ribeiro, Barbara de Melo; Silva, Leonardo Eurípedes Andrade; Mora, Delio Jose; Paim, Kennio Ferreira; Silva-Vergara, Mario León

2016-10-05

Cryptococcosis occurs in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with poor compliance to antiretroviral therapy or unaware of their human immunodeficiency virus status who present severe immunosuppression at admission. Consequently, high mortality rates are observed due to disseminated fungal infection. This report presents clinical and postmortem data of AIDS patients with cryptococcosis in a teaching hospital in Brazil. Retrospectively, medical and necropsy records of AIDS patients with cryptococcosis clinically confirmed and/or postmortem verified were reviewed. Clinical data were compared with those of patients presenting a good outcome to evaluate disseminated fungal infection and the agreement between clinical and postmortem diagnosis. At admission, most of the 45 patients with cryptococcal meningitis who died, presented more altered consciousness (P = 0.0047), intracranial increased pressure (P = 0.047), and severe malnutrition (P = 0.0006) than the survivors. Of 29 (64.4%) patients with cryptococcal meningitis, 23 died before week 2 on antifungal therapy, and the other six during the next 3 months. The remaining 16 (35.6%) cases had other diagnoses and died soon after. At necropsy, 31 (68.9%) presented disseminated infection involving two or more organs, whereas 14 (31.1%) cases had meningeal or pulmonary localized infection. The agreement of 64.4% between clinical and postmortem diagnosis was similar to some studies. However, other reports have shown figures ranging from 34% to 95%. Currently, a progressive worldwide decrease of autopsies is worrying because the role of postmortem examination is pivotal to verify or identify the death causes, which contributes to improve the quality of clinical diagnosis and medical training. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

The art of matching brain tissue from patients and controls for postmortem research.

PubMed

Bao, Ai-Min; Swaab, Dick F

2018-01-01

The quality of postmortem research depends strongly on a thorough clinical investigation and documentation of the patient's disorder and therapies. In addition, a systematic and professional neuropathologic investigation of both cases and controls is absolutely crucial. In the experience of the Netherlands Brain Bank (NBB), about 20% of clinical neurologic diagnoses, despite being made in first-rate clinics, have to be revised or require an extra diagnosis after a complete and thorough review by the NBB. The neuropathology examination may reveal for instance that the "controls" already have preclinical neurodegenerative alterations. In postmortem studies the patient and control groups must be matched for as many of the known confounding factors as possible. This is necessary to make the groups as similar as possible, except for the topic being investigated. Confounding factors are present before, during, and after death. They are respectively: (1) genetic background, systemic diseases, duration and gravity of illness, medicines and addictive compounds used, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, circadian and seasonal fluctuations, lateralization; (2) agonal state, stress of dying; and (3) postmortem delay, freezing procedures, fixation and storage time. Consequently, a brain bank should have a large number of controls at its disposal for appropriate matching. If matching fails for some confounders, then their influence may be determined by statistical methods such as analysis of variance or regression models. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Point-of-care hemoglobin testing for postmortem diagnosis of anemia.

PubMed

Na, Joo-Young; Park, Ji Hye; Choi, Byung Ha; Kim, Hyung-Seok; Park, Jong-Tae

2018-03-01

An autopsy involves examination of a body using invasive methods such as dissection, and includes various tests using samples procured during dissection. During medicolegal autopsies, the blood carboxyhemoglobin concentration is commonly measured using the AVOXimeter® 4000 as a point-of-care test. When evaluating the body following hypovolemic shock, characteristics such as reduced livor mortis or an anemic appearance of the viscera can be identified, but these observations arequite subjective. Thus, a more objective test is required for the postmortem diagnosis of anemia. In the present study, the AVOXimeter® 4000 was used to investigate the utility of point-of-care hemoglobin testing. Hemoglobin tests were performed in 93 autopsy cases. The AVOXimeter® 4000 and the BC-2800 Auto Hematology Analyzer were used to test identical samples in 29 of these cases. The results of hemoglobin tests performed with these two devices were statistically similar (r = 0.969). The results of hemoglobin tests using postmortem blood were compared with antemortem test results from medical records from 31 cases, and these results were similar. In 13 of 17 cases of death from internal hemorrhage, hemoglobin levels were lower in the cardiac blood than in blood from the affected body cavity, likely due to compensatory changes induced by antemortem hemorrhage. It is concluded that blood hemoglobin testing may be useful as a point-of-care test for diagnosing postmortem anemia.

Study on the apoptosis mediated by cytochrome c and factors that affect the activation of bovine longissimus muscle during postmortem aging.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiaying; Yu, Qunli; Han, Ling; Chen, Cheng; Li, Hang; Han, Guangxing

2017-06-01

This study investigates whether bovine longissimus muscle cell apoptosis occurs during postmortem aging and whether apoptosis is dependent on the mitochondria pathway. This study also determines the apoptosis process mediated by cytochrome c after its release from mitochondria and the factors that affect the activation processes. Results indicate that apoptotic nuclei were detected at 12 h postmortem. Cytochrome c release from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm activated the caspase-9 and caspase-3 at early postmortem aging and the activation of caspase-9 occurs before the activation of caspase-3. The pH level decreased during the first 48 h postmortem, whereas the mitochondria membrane permeability increased from 6 to 12 h. Results demonstrate that an apoptosis process of bovine muscle occurred during postmortem aging. Apoptosis was dependent on the mitochondria pathway and occurred at early postmortem aging. Increased mitochondria membrane permeability and low pH are necessary conditions for the release of cytochrome c during postmortem aging.

The Impact of Excluding Food Guarding from a Standardized Behavioral Canine Assessment in Animal Shelters

PubMed Central

Mohan-Gibbons, Heather; Dolan, Emily D.; Reid, Pamela; Slater, Margaret R.; Mulligan, Hugh; Weiss, Emily

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Recent research has called into question the value of the food guarding assessment as a predictive tool for determining the safety of shelter dogs. This study examined the effect of eliminating the food guarding assessment in nine U.S. animal shelters. It was found that when the food guarding assessment was removed, bites or other injuries to staff or adopters did not increase. However, dogs exhibiting food guarding behavior were less likely to be adopted, had a longer shelter stay, and were more likely to be euthanized than dogs in the general population. Based on previous research and this study’s findings, the authors recommend that shelters discontinue the food guarding assessment. Abstract Many shelters euthanize or restrict adoptions for dogs that exhibit food guarding while in the animal shelter. However, previous research showed that only half the dogs exhibiting food guarding during an assessment food guard in the home. So, dogs are often misidentified as future food guarders during shelter assessments. We examined the impact of shelters omitting food guarding assessments. Nine shelters conducted a two-month baseline period of assessing for food guarding followed by a two-month investigative period during which they omitted the food guarding assessment. Dogs that guarded their food during a standardized assessment were less likely to be adopted, had a longer shelter stay, and were more likely to be euthanized. When the shelters stopped assessing for food guarding, there was no significant difference in the rate of returns of food guarding dogs, even though more dogs were adopted because fewer were identified with food guarding behavior. Additionally, the number of injuries to staff, volunteers, and adopters was low (104 incidents from a total of 14,180 dogs) and did not change when the food guarding assessment was omitted. These results support a recommendation that shelters discontinue the food guarding assessment. PMID:29419746

Uterine fibrosarcoma in a Warmblood mare.

PubMed

Govaere, J; Maes, S; Saey, V; Blancke, W; Hoogewijs, M; Deschauwer, C; Smits, K; Roels, K; Vercauteren, G; de Kruif, A

2011-06-01

This paper describes a case of uterine fibrosarcoma in an 18-year-old Warmblood mare. The mare had exhibited bloody fluid accumulation inside the uterus and vaginal haemorrhagic discharge since the previous foaling. The mare was euthanized, and on pathological examination, in addition to the uterine neoplasia, multiple metastases were found in the lungs, liver and spleen. The histological and immunohistochemical examination determined that the tumour was a fibrosarcoma. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to describe a uterine fibrosarcoma in a mare. © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

A Case Report of Postmortem Radiography of Acute, Fatal Abdominal Distension After Binge Eating.

PubMed

Usui, Akihito; Kawasumi, Yusuke; Ishizuka, Yuya; Hosokai, Yoshiyuki; Ikeda, Tomoya; Saito, Haruo; Funayama, Masato

2016-12-01

This case report describes a woman who developed fatal gastric dilatation after binge eating. She called an ambulance because of stomach pain. When she arrived at the hospital, she did not look seriously ill. However, she rapidly became unconscious and collapsed immediately after she was laid on the examination table in a supine position. Postmortem chest x-ray and computed tomography showed right shift of the mediastinum and raised left diaphragm caused by massive gastric distension. Computed tomography showed no visible inferior vena cava. We think that her sudden deterioration was caused by movement of her stomach contents. Radiographic images provided some clues to the cause of her rapid collapse and death.

Barbiturates

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, N.J.

1999-01-01

Barbiturate products are commonly used to euthanize domestic animals. The primary active component in euthanasia solutions is sodium pentobarbital, but some products also contain other minor ingredients (Fig. 48.1).Euthanasia solutions are generally injected intravenously in domestic animals; therefore, after death, the solutions will be most concentrated in the blood and the highly vascularized organs, such as the liver or spleen, of the euthanized animal.Euthanized carcasses that are available as carrion pose a hazard to scavenging birds and mammals. Large domestic animal carcasses, such as horses, that are not used for food or rendering but that are sufficiently valuable (monetarily or psychologically) to warrant veterinary services and euthanasia drugs are the most common sources of barbiturate poisoning in scavengers. In one instance in British Columbia, a single cow carcass was responsible for poisoning 29 bald eagles.Circumstances that interfere with burial, such as frozen winter soil or bulky carcasses, result in euthanized carcasses being available for scavenger species. This problem could increase in the future if more stringent air-quality standards restrict carcass incineration.

Gene expression in the twilight of death: The increase of thousands of transcripts has implications to transplantation, cancer, and forensic research.

PubMed

Pozhitkov, Alexander E; Noble, Peter A

2017-09-01

After a vertebrate dies, many of its organ systems, tissues, and cells remain functional while its body no longer works as a whole. We define this state as the "twilight of death" - the transition from a living body to a decomposed corpse. We claim that the study of the twilight of death is important to ethical, legal and medical science. We examined gene expression at the twilight of death in the zebrafish and mouse reaching the conclusion that apparently thousands of transcripts significantly increase in abundance from life to several hours/days postmortem relative to live controls. Transcript dynamics of different genes provided "proof-of-principle" that models accurately predict an individual's elapsed-time-of-death (i.e. postmortem interval). While many transcripts were associated with survival and stress compensation, others were associated with epigenetic factors, developmental control, and cancer. Future studies are needed to determine whether the high incidence of cancer in transplant recipients is due to the postmortem processes in donor organs. © 2017 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Death by 'ice': fatal methamphetamine intoxication of a body packer case detected by postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and validated by autopsy.

PubMed

Bin Abdul Rashid, Saiful Nizam; Rahim, Amir Saad Abdul; Thali, Michael J; Flach, Patricia M

2013-03-01

Fatal acute methamphetamine (MA) poisoning in cases of internal drug trafficking is rarely described in the literature. This case study reports an MA 'body packer' who died from fatal methamphetamine intoxication due to leaking drug packages in the alimentary tract. The deceased was examined by postmortem computed tomography (PMCT), and the results were correlated to subsequent autopsy and toxicological findings. The deceased was arrested by the police when he was found disoriented in the city of Kuala Lumpur. He was transferred to the emergency department on suspicion of drug abuse. The initial drug screening was reactive for amphetamines. Shortly after admission to the hospital, he died despite rigorous resuscitation attempts. The postmortem plain chest and abdominal radiographs revealed multiple suspicious opacities in the gastrointestinal tract attributable to body packages. An unenhanced whole body PMCT revealed twenty-five drug packages, twenty-four in the stomach and one in the transverse colon. At least two were disintegrating, and therefore leaking. The autopsy findings were consistent with the PMCT results. Toxicology confirmed the diagnosis of fatal methamphetamine intoxication.

Grief and bereavement of Israeli dog owners: exploring short-term phases pre- and post-euthanization.

PubMed

Tzivian, Lilian; Friger, Michael; Kushnir, Talma

2014-01-01

Several studies have investigated the grief that owners experience after they euthanized their pets. However, research has not explored the cognitive and emotional processes those dog owners experience. The authors chose an exploratory approach and conducted a content analysis of 29 semistructured interviews of owners in the 2-week period after the death of their dogs. They found 5 main phases in the initial parting process: the decision to euthanize; anticipation and mental preparation; burial; mourning; and thinking about a new pet. All participants experienced these 5 common behavioral and emotional phases. There were only small individual differences among owners' reactions.

Occurrence of Gnathostoma spinigerum in a leopard cat from Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala.

PubMed

Lenka, Dibya Ranjan; Johns, Joju; Gopi, Jyothimol; Chandy, George; Narayanan, Priya Manakkulamparambil; Kalarikkal, Deepa Chundayil; Ravindran, Reghu

2016-06-01

The post-mortem examination of a leopard cat from Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, died in a road accident, revealed presence of gastric tumours containing worms which were identified as Gnathostoma spinigerum based on morphological characteristics.

A new model for the estimation of time of death from vitreous potassium levels corrected for age and temperature.

PubMed

Zilg, B; Bernard, S; Alkass, K; Berg, S; Druid, H

2015-09-01

Analysis of potassium concentration in the vitreous fluid of the eye is frequently used by forensic pathologists to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI), particularly when other methods commonly used in the early phase of an investigation can no longer be applied. The postmortem rise in vitreous potassium has been recognized for several decades and is readily explained by a diffusion of potassium from surrounding cells into the vitreous fluid. However, there is no consensus regarding the mathematical equation that best describes this increase. The existing models assume a linear increase, but different slopes and starting points have been proposed. In this study, vitreous potassium levels, and a number of factors that may influence these levels, were examined in 462 cases with known postmortem intervals that ranged from 2h to 17 days. We found that the postmortem rise in potassium followed a non-linear curve and that decedent age and ambient temperature influenced the variability by 16% and 5%, respectively. A long duration of agony and a high alcohol level at the time of death contributed less than 1% variability, and evaluation of additional possible factors revealed no detectable impact on the rise of vitreous potassium. Two equations were subsequently generated, one that represents the best fit of the potassium concentrations alone, and a second that represents potassium concentrations with correction for decedent age and/or ambient temperature. The former was associated with narrow confidence intervals in the early postmortem phase, but the intervals gradually increased with longer PMIs. For the latter equation, the confidence intervals were reduced at all PMIs. Therefore, the model that best describes the observed postmortem rise in vitreous potassium levels includes potassium concentration, decedent age, and ambient temperature. Furthermore, the precision of these equations, particularly for long PMIs, is expected to gradually improve by adjusting the constants as more reference data are added over time. A web application that facilitates this calculation process and allows for such future modifications has been developed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Severe malaria - a case of fatal Plasmodium knowlesi infection with post-mortem findings: a case report

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Zoonotic malaria caused by Plasmodium knowlesi is an important, but newly recognized, human pathogen. For the first time, post-mortem findings from a fatal case of knowlesi malaria are reported here. Case presentation A formerly healthy 40 year-old male became symptomatic 10 days after spending time in the jungle of North Borneo. Four days later, he presented to hospital in a state of collapse and died within two hours. He was hyponatraemic and had elevated blood urea, potassium, lactate dehydrogenase and amino transferase values; he was also thrombocytopenic and eosinophilic. Dengue haemorrhagic shock was suspected and a post-mortem examination performed. Investigations for dengue virus were negative. Blood for malaria parasites indicated hyperparasitaemia and single species P. knowlesi infection was confirmed by nested-PCR. Macroscopic pathology of the brain and endocardium showed multiple petechial haemorrhages, the liver and spleen were enlarged and lungs had features consistent with ARDS. Microscopic pathology showed sequestration of pigmented parasitized red blood cells in the vessels of the cerebrum, cerebellum, heart and kidney without evidence of chronic inflammatory reaction in the brain or any other organ examined. Brain sections were negative for intracellular adhesion molecule-1. The spleen and liver had abundant pigment containing macrophages and parasitized red blood cells. The kidney had evidence of acute tubular necrosis and endothelial cells in heart sections were prominent. Conclusions The overall picture in this case was one of systemic malaria infection that fit the WHO classification for severe malaria. Post-mortem findings in this case were unexpectedly similar to those that define fatal falciparum malaria, including cerebral pathology. There were important differences including the absence of coma despite petechial haemorrhages and parasite sequestration in the brain. These results suggest that further study of knowlesi malaria will aid the interpretation of, often conflicting, information on malaria pathophysiology in humans. PMID:20064229

Statistical evaluation of time-dependent metabolite concentrations: estimation of post-mortem intervals based on in situ 1H-MRS of the brain.

PubMed

Scheurer, Eva; Ith, Michael; Dietrich, Daniel; Kreis, Roland; Hüsler, Jürg; Dirnhofer, Richard; Boesch, Chris

2005-05-01

Knowledge of the time interval from death (post-mortem interval, PMI) has an enormous legal, criminological and psychological impact. Aiming to find an objective method for the determination of PMIs in forensic medicine, 1H-MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was used in a sheep head model to follow changes in brain metabolite concentrations after death. Following the characterization of newly observed metabolites (Ith et al., Magn. Reson. Med. 2002; 5: 915-920), the full set of acquired spectra was analyzed statistically to provide a quantitative estimation of PMIs with their respective confidence limits. In a first step, analytical mathematical functions are proposed to describe the time courses of 10 metabolites in the decomposing brain up to 3 weeks post-mortem. Subsequently, the inverted functions are used to predict PMIs based on the measured metabolite concentrations. Individual PMIs calculated from five different metabolites are then pooled, being weighted by their inverse variances. The predicted PMIs from all individual examinations in the sheep model are compared with known true times. In addition, four human cases with forensically estimated PMIs are compared with predictions based on single in situ MRS measurements. Interpretation of the individual sheep examinations gave a good correlation up to 250 h post-mortem, demonstrating that the predicted PMIs are consistent with the data used to generate the model. Comparison of the estimated PMIs with the forensically determined PMIs in the four human cases shows an adequate correlation. Current PMI estimations based on forensic methods typically suffer from uncertainties in the order of days to weeks without mathematically defined confidence information. In turn, a single 1H-MRS measurement of brain tissue in situ results in PMIs with defined and favorable confidence intervals in the range of hours, thus offering a quantitative and objective method for the determination of PMIs. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A review of the use of clozapine levels to guide treatment and determine cause of death.

PubMed

Stark, Anne; Scott, James

2012-09-01

To review the literature to examine the use of clozapine levels to (i) guide therapy and prevent toxicity in clinical care and (ii) determine cause of death in post-mortem examination of patients who were treated with clozapine. MEDLINE was searched in December 2010 using the following keywords: 'clozapine levels', 'clozapine and toxicity', 'clozapine and death', 'clozapine and mortality' and 'post-mortem redistribution'. Data was also collected from the 2010 MIMS Annual. The literature reported significant variation in clozapine levels attained with any given dose, and considerable variability in the clinical response achieved at any given clozapine level. The lowest effective clozapine levels ranged from 250 to 550 µg/L, while the recommended upper limit to prevent toxicity varied from 600 to 2000 µg/L. There was minimal correlation between clozapine levels and side effects, with the exception of sedation, hypotension and seizure activity. The risk of seizures increased with plasma clozapine levels greater than 600 µg/L or rapid upward titration. In addition to prescribed dose, there are many factors that influence plasma clozapine levels. After death, the process of post-mortem drug redistribution resulted in 3.00 to 4.89 times increases in clozapine levels in central blood vessels and 1.5 fold increases in peripheral vessels compared to ante-mortem levels. The exact range of clozapine levels that corresponds to toxicity remains unclear. However, levels between 350 µg/L and 1000 µg/L achieved with gradual upward titration are more likely to be effective and less likely to cause toxicity. Ongoing clozapine level monitoring is indicated, especially when (i) prescribing higher doses (> 600 mg/day) of clozapine, (ii) there has been a change in a patient's concomitant pharmacotherapy or cigarette use and (iii) there has been a suboptimal response to treatment. The use of post-mortem clozapine levels to determine clozapine toxicity as a cause of death is unreliable.

Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping of Amyloid-β Aggregates in Alzheimer's Disease with 7T MR.

PubMed

Tiepolt, Solveig; Schäfer, Andreas; Rullmann, Michael; Roggenhofer, Elisabeth; Gertz, Hermann-Josef; Schroeter, Matthias L; Patt, Marianne; Bazin, Pierre-Louis; Jochimsen, Thies H; Turner, Robert; Sabri, Osama; Barthel, Henryk

2018-05-28

PET imaging is an established technique to detect cerebral amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in vivo. Some preclinical and postmortem data report an accumulation of redox-active iron near Aβ plaques. Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) at high-field MRI enables iron deposits to be depicted with high spatial resolution. Aim of this study was to examine whether iron and Aβ plaque accumulation is related and thus, whether 7T MRI might be an additive diagnostic tool to Aβ PET imaging. Postmortem human Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy control (HC) frontal gray matter (GM) was imaged with 7T MRI which resulted in T1 maps and QSM. Aβ plaque load was determined by histopathology. In vivo, 10 Aβ PET-positive AD patients (74.1±6.0a) and 10 Aβ PET-negative HCs (67.1±4.4a) underwent 7T MR examination and QSM maps were analyzed. Severity of cognitive deficits was determined by MMSE. Postmortem, the susceptibility of Aβ plaque-containing GM were higher than those of Aβ plaque-free GM (0.011±0.002 versus - 0.008±0.003 ppm, p <  0.001). In vivo, only the bilateral globus pallidus showed significantly higher susceptibility in AD patients compared to HCs (right: 0.277±0.018 versus - 0.009±0.009 ppm; left: 0.293±0.014 versus - 0.007±0.012 ppm, p <  0.0001). The pallidal QSM values were negatively correlated with those of the MMSE (r = - 0.69, p = 0.001). The postmortem study revealed significant susceptibility differences between the Aβ plaque-containing and Aβ plaque-free GM, whereas in vivo only the QSM values of the globus pallidus differed significantly between AD and HC group. The pallidal QSM values correlated with the severity of cognitive deficits. These findings encourage efforts to optimize the 7T-QSM methodology.

9 CFR 381.76 - Post-mortem inspection, when required; extent; traditional, Streamlined Inspection System (SIS...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Post-mortem inspection, when required... INSPECTION REGULATIONS Post Mortem Inspection; Disposition of Carcasses and Parts § 381.76 Post-mortem...) Inspection System and the New Turkey Inspection (NTI) System; rate of inspection. (a) A post-mortem...

9 CFR 381.76 - Post-mortem inspection, when required; extent; traditional, Streamlined Inspection System (SIS...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Post-mortem inspection, when required... INSPECTION REGULATIONS Post Mortem Inspection; Disposition of Carcasses and Parts § 381.76 Post-mortem...) Inspection System and the New Turkey Inspection (NTI) System; rate of inspection. (a) A post-mortem...

9 CFR 381.76 - Post-mortem inspection, when required; extent; traditional, Streamlined Inspection System (SIS...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Post-mortem inspection, when required... INSPECTION REGULATIONS Post Mortem Inspection; Disposition of Carcasses and Parts § 381.76 Post-mortem...) Inspection System and the New Turkey Inspection (NTI) System; rate of inspection. (a) A post-mortem...

9 CFR 381.76 - Post-mortem inspection, when required; extent; traditional, Streamlined Inspection System (SIS...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Post-mortem inspection, when required... INSPECTION REGULATIONS Post Mortem Inspection; Disposition of Carcasses and Parts § 381.76 Post-mortem...) Inspection System and the New Turkey Inspection (NTI) System; rate of inspection. (a) A post-mortem...

Directions in Near-Death Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundahl, C.R.

1981-01-01

Explains that near-death research is moving in three directions: (1) the ongoing accumulation of knowledge on the near-death experience through scientifically derived studies; (2) the examination of post-mortem survival; and (3) the clinical application of the findings of near- death research. (Author/RC)

Clinical, computed tomographic, magnetic resonance imaging, and histologic findings associated with myxomatous neoplasia of the temporomandibular joint in two dogs.

PubMed

Parslow, Arana; Taylor, David P; Simpson, David J

2016-12-01

CASE DESCRIPTION A 15-year-old neutered female mixed-breed dog (dog 1) and an 11-year-old neutered female Labrador Retriever (dog 2) were examined because of unilateral exophthalmus, third eyelid protrusion, and periorbital swelling that failed to respond to antimicrobial treatment. CLINICAL FINDINGS Both dogs underwent ultrasonographic, CT, and MRI examination of the head. In both dogs, advanced imaging revealed a poorly defined, peripherally contrast-enhancing, mucous-filled cystic mass that radiated from the temporomandibular joint and infiltrated the periorbital tissues and retrobulbar space. Both dogs underwent surgical biopsy of the periorbital mass. A viscous, straw-colored fluid was aspirated from the retrobulbar region in both dogs. The initial histologic diagnosis for dog 1 was zygomatic sialadenitis and sialocele. However, the clinical signs recurred, and histologic examination of specimens obtained during a second surgical biopsy resulted in a diagnosis of myxoma. The histologic diagnosis was myxosarcoma for dog 2. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME In both dogs, clinical signs recurred within 2 weeks after surgery and persisted for the duration of their lives. Dog 1 received no further treatment after the second surgery and was euthanized 34 months after initial examination because of multicentric lymphoma. Dog 2 was treated with various chemotherapy agents and was euthanized 11 months after initial examination because of a dramatic increase in periocular swelling and respiratory stertor. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Temporomandibular myxomatous neoplasia can be confused with zygomatic sialocele on the basis of clinical signs but has characteristic MRI features. Representative biopsy specimens should be obtained from areas close to the temporomandibular joint to avoid misdiagnosis.

The utility of postmortem computed tomography selective coronary angiography in parallel with autopsy.

PubMed

Inokuchi, Go; Yajima, Daisuke; Hayakawa, Mutsumi; Motomura, Ayumi; Chiba, Fumiko; Torimitsu, Suguru; Makino, Yohsuke; Iwase, Hirotaro

2013-12-01

Historically, coronary angiography of the isolated heart has played an important role in the detection of stenotic or occlusive lesions that are difficult to identify by autopsy alone. Meanwhile, although the application of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) to forensic fields has accelerated recently, isolated single organ angiography with MDCT is rarely performed. In this article, we present an evaluation of postmortem selective coronary CT angiography of the isolated heart with MDCT and discuss its utility for autopsy. First, in a preliminary experiment using pig coronary artery, we examined the behavior of water soluble contrast material on postmortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA) and found that better angiographic images were acquired when the viscosity of the contrast material was increased and CT was performed under conditions of sustained perfusion. Based on these results, we devised a selective coronary angiography procedure using a pressurized bag for drip infusion that can be performed easily, quickly, and at low cost. The angiographic images obtained provided useful supportive evidence of autopsy findings suggestive of ischemic heart disease. With active discussions underway in forensic fields on the proper use of postmortem computed tomography, PMCTA has also naturally attracted attention as it compensates for some of the shortcomings of CT alone. Although PMCTA typically involves whole-body angiography, if we view PMCTA as one of the many useful and supplementary tools available for autopsy, then isolated heart angiography continues to have utility in autopsy today.

Characterization of human brown adipose tissue by chemical-shift water-fat MRI.

PubMed

Hu, Houchun H; Perkins, Thomas G; Chia, Jonathan M; Gilsanz, Vicente

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to characterize human brown adipose tissue (BAT) with chemical-shift water-fat MRI and to determine whether trends and differences in fat-signal fractions and T2(*) relaxation times between BAT and white adipose tissue (WAT) are consistently observed postmortem and in vivo in infants, adolescents, and adults. A postmortem body and eight patients were studied. A six-echo spoiled gradient-echo chemical-shift water-fat MRI sequence was performed at 3 T to jointly quantify fat-signal fraction and T2(*) in interscapular-supraclavicular BAT and subcutaneous WAT. To confirm BAT identity, biopsy and histology served as the reference in the postmortem study and PET/CT was used in five of the eight patients who required examination for medical care. Fat-signal fractions and T2(*) times were lower in BAT than in WAT in the postmortem example and in seven of eight patients. With the exception of one case, nominal comparisons between brown and white adipose tissues were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Between subjects, a large range of fat-signal fraction values was observed in BAT but not in WAT. We have shown that fat-signal fractions and T2(*) values jointly derived from chemical-shift water-fat MRI are lower in BAT than in WAT likely because of differences in cellular structures, triglyceride content, and vascularization. The two metrics can serve as complementary biomarkers in the detection of BAT.

Skin analysis following dermal exposure to kerosene in rats: the effects of postmortem exposure and fire.

PubMed

Hieda, Yoko; Tsujino, Yoshio; Xue, Yuying; Takayama, Koji; Fujihara, Junko; Kimura, Kojiro; Dekio, Satoshi

2004-02-01

To evaluate the usefulness of skin analysis for the forensic examination of cases involving postmortem dermal exposure to kerosene and/or fire, an experimental study using rats was performed. Rats received dermal exposure to kerosene before or after death, and the effect of fire was determined by burning an area of exposed skin after death. Kerosene concentrations in skin and blood were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and microscopic observation was performed for skin samples. No differences were observed in skin kerosene levels between antemortem and postmortem exposure. Kerosene concentrations in mildly burned skin where the stratum corneum (SC) was retained were approximately 84% compared to those in non-burned exposed skin, whereas concentrations in severely burned skin where the SC was almost completely burned off were 28% of non-burned skin. Even in non-exposed control skin 14% of the original kerosene concentrations could be detected, which was considered to be caused by contamination during the experimental protocol combined with kerosene's property of a high affinity for the SC. These results suggest that (1) skin analysis is useful in estimating the type of petroleum product involved in crimes or accidents even for postmortem exposure, (2) whether the SC is retained or not primarily determined the kerosene levels in burned skin, and (3) attention must be paid to evaluate the results obtained from skin samples in the light of the circumstances surrounding the case.

A Study on Postmortem Wound Dating by Gross and Histopathological Examination of Abrasions.

PubMed

Vinay, Javaregowda; Harish, Sathyanarayana; Mangala, Gouri S R; Hugar, Basappa S

2017-06-01

Abrasions are the most common blunt force injuries. The precise dating of injury is extremely important in forensic medicine practice. As we know, the wound healing occurs in well-orchestrated sequence, consisting of inflammation, proliferation, and maturation.A study of occurrence of such phases will help in understanding the sequence of events in wound healing. In this context, this study of wound dating from gross and microscopic level was taken. Postmortem study of wound dating by gross and histopathological examination of abrasions was carried out in the Department of Forensic Medicine, in M.S. Ramaiah Medical College. A total of 101 abrasions were correlated to time frame the occurrence of different gross changes and microscopic changes that follow the blunt trauma. Abrasions ranging from 0 hour to a maximum of 45 days were studied. The gross changes of abrasions were in correlation with the microscopic changes; however, the role of the comorbid conditions is significant because the results showed variations with respect to healing process. This study signifies that, if naked eye examination is studied along with histopathological examination, the reliability and accuracy of dating of wound increase. Whenever accurate determination of age is required, the autopsy surgeon can subject the samples for histopathological examination and correlate before opining the age of injury.

Genetic analysis of sudden cardiac death victims: a survey of current forensic autopsy practices.

PubMed

Michaud, Katarzyna; Mangin, Patrice; Elger, Bernice S

2011-05-01

Autopsy-negative sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) seen in forensic practice are most often thought to be the result of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome. Postmortem genetic analysis is recommended in such cases, but is currently performed in only a few academic centers. In order to determine actual current practice, an on-line questionnaire was sent by e-mail to members of various forensic medical associations. The questions addressed routine procedures employed in cases of sudden cardiac death (autopsy ordering, macroscopic and microscopic cardiac examination, conduction tissue examination, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, biochemical markers, sampling and storage of material for genetic analyses, toxicological analyses, and molecular autopsy). Some questions concerned the legal and ethical aspects of genetic analyses in postmortem examinations, as well as any existing multidisciplinary collaborations in SCD cases. There were 97 respondents, mostly from European countries. Genetic testing in cases of sudden cardiac death is rarely practiced in routine forensic investigation. Approximately 60% of respondents reported not having the means to perform genetic postmortem testing and 40% do not collect adequate material to perform these investigations at a later date, despite working at university hospitals. The survey demonstrated that many of the problems involved in the adequate investigation of SCD cases are often financial in origin, due to the fact that activities in forensic medicine are often paid by and dependent on the judicial authorities. Problems also exist concerning the contact with family members and/or the family doctor, as well as the often-nonexistent collaboration with others clinicians with special expertise beneficial in the investigation of SCD cases, such as cardiologists and geneticists. This study highlights the importance in establishing guidelines for molecular autopsies in forensic medicine.

Maintenance of arytenoid abduction following carbon dioxide laser debridement of the articular cartilage and joint capsule of the cricoarytenoid joint combined with prosthetic laryngoplasty in horses: an in vivo and in vitro study.

PubMed

Hawkins, J F; Couetil, L; Miller, M A

2014-02-01

The objective was to evaluate CO2 laser debridement of the cricoarytenoid joint (CAJ) combined with prosthetic laryngoplasty to prevent post-operative loss of arytenoid abduction in seven horses. Horses were assigned to either laser debridement of the left CAJ and laryngoplasty (laser treated, n=5) or control laryngoplasty (sham, n=2), and were evaluated with endoscopic examinations and measurement of right to left angle quotients (RLQ) to assess maintenance of arytenoid abduction. The animals were euthanased at intervals after surgery and larynges were harvested for post-mortem testing, including determination of translaryngeal flow, pressure, impedance and RLQ. Measurements were obtained under increasing vacuum-generated negative pressure with laryngoplasty sutures intact and with the knot/crimp of the laryngoplasty sutures removed. Following post-mortem testing the cricoarytenoid joints were examined histologically. Post-operative endoscopic examinations revealed no significant differences between RLQ measurements calculated for day 1 following surgery to the termination date of the study for the seven horses. Post-mortem RLQ at airflows of 10 and 60 L/s was significantly higher in sham than in laser treated horses both before and after knot/crimp removal. Translaryngeal impedance at 10 and 60 L/s was not statistically different between groups. Histopathology revealed necrosis and loss of articular cartilage in the laser treated horses. The lymphoid cell infiltration subsided but joint capsule and periarticular fibrosis increased over the course of the study. Post-operative loss of arytenoid abduction after laryngoplasty can be minimized with CO2 laser debridement of the CAJ joint. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oral Prenatal and Postnatal Development Study of WR238605 Succinate in Rats. Volume 2 of 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-09-18

litter loss. Females that fail to deliver will be euthanized and necropsied on presumed gestation day 25. Females which demonstrate dystocia (i.e...day 25 (i.e., 25 days after evidence of mating was detected). Females which demonstrate dystocia (i.e., incomplete delivery) will be euthanized and

[Obligation to report occupational diseases. Importance of external post-mortem examinations before cremation].

PubMed

Verhoff, M A; Risse, M; Alles, J-U; Müller, K-M; Stachetzki, U

2004-05-01

The practical use of the legally required documentation of occupational diseases is demonstrated by a case of asbestos-related pleural mesothelioma. During the mandatory inquest before cremation, information of manifest pleural mesothelioma had been relayed to the widow of the patient, and an investigation for a possible occupational disease was performed. Reconstruction of the case showed that in the course of 3 months at least 13 physicians had been involved in in-hospital as well as ambulatory therapeutic measures. Until death, none of them informed the trade association about a suspected occupational disease in accordance with BK 4105 of the codex of occupational diseases, although the diagnosis of manifest pleural mesothelioma had been histologically confirmed already 10 weeks prior to the death of the patient. This case demonstrates obvious and evident deficiencies in applying the Code of Social Law VII, which requires physicians to report occupational diseases. In addition, it shows the importance of the post-mortem examination as a control function before cremation.

Bilateral first rib anomalous articulations with pseudarthroses mimicking healing fractures in an infant with abusive head injury.

PubMed

Pasquale-Styles, Melissa A; Crowder, Christian M; Fridie, Jeannette; Milla, Sarah S

2014-11-01

Bilateral symmetric bone nodules were observed in the anterolateral first ribs of an infant with shaking injuries at autopsy. The location prompted diagnostic considerations of healing fractures versus anomalous articulations with pseudarthroses. The forensic pathologist worked with forensic anthropologists and pediatric radiologists to evaluate autopsy findings and compare premortem and postmortem X-rays. Gross examination of the bones by the pathologist and anthropologists confirmed bilateral, callus-like bone nodules in first-rib locations associated with pseudarthroses. Histologic examination of one of the bones further showed features most consistent with pseudarthrosis, not a healing fracture. Radiologists then compared multiple premortem and postmortem radiographs that showed no remodeling of the bone over a 2-week interval between the time of injury and death, which would be unexpected for a healing fracture in an infant. This multidisciplinary approach resulted in the appropriate diagnosis of pseudarthroses due to anomalous articulations, an uncommon finding in forensic pathology. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

How should forensic anthropologists correct national weather service temperature data for use in estimating the postmortem interval?

PubMed

Dabbs, Gretchen R

2015-05-01

This study examines the correlation between site-specific and retrospectively collected temperature data from the National Weather Service (NWS) over an extended time period. Using iButtonLink thermochrons (model DS1921G), hourly temperature readings were collected at 15 sites (1 validation; 14 experimental) from December 2010 to January 2012. Comparison between the site-specific temperature data and data retrieved from an official reporter of NWS temperature data shows statistically significant differences between the two in 71.4% (10/14) of cases. The difference ranged between 0.04 and 2.81°C. Examination of both regression and simple adjustment of the mean difference over extended periods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 9 months) suggests that on the timescale typical in forensic anthropology cases neither method of correction is consistent or reliable and that forensic anthropologists would be better suited using uncorrected NWS temperature data when the postmortem interval is extended. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Renal tubular-cell neoplasms in black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes)--38 cases.

PubMed

Lair, S; Barker, I K; Mehren, K G; Williams, E S

2006-05-01

Thirty-eight cases of renal tubular cell neoplasms were diagnosed in 184 captive, adult (>1-year-old), black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) examined from 1985 to 1996. This prevalence (20.7%) is one of the highest reported for this neoplasm in a population of animals. These tumors rarely metastasized (1/38), and usually were incidental postmortem findings, associated clinical disease being present in only 3 (8%) of the 38 cases. The prevalence of renal tubular cell neoplasms found at postmortem examination increased linearly with age, up to 67% in ferrets >8 years old. Both males (prevalence = 19%) and females (prevalence = 24%) were affected. Multiple renal tumors were common, and seven ferrets (18.4% of affected animals) had bilateral tumors. The cause of this neoplastic syndrome could not be determined. Since most of the animals affected by this condition were in their postreproductive years of life, the impact of this neoplastic syndrome on the captive propagation of this species is negligible.

Fatal ulcerative colitis in a western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).

PubMed

Lankester, F; Mätz-Rensing, K; Kiyang, J; Jensen, S A; Weiss, S; Leendertz, F H

2008-12-01

A captive western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) presented with watery diarrhoea that progressed to become profuse and haemorrhagic. Faecal analyses revealed Balantidium (B.) coli trophozoites and salmonella-like bacteria. Despite treatment the gorilla died on the 5th day after onset of symptoms. Post-mortem examination revealed a severe erosive-ulcerative superficial and deep colitis. Histological examination of post-mortem samples of the colon showed plentiful B. coli invading into the mucosa and submucosa, whilst PCR screening of bacterial DNA could not confirm any bacteria species which could be connected to the clinical picture. As B. coli is usually a non-pathogenic gut commensal, and as this animal previously showed evidence of non-symptomatic infection of B. coli, it is possible that the switch in pathogenicity was triggered by an acute bacterial infection. Despite successful treatment of the bacterial infection the secondary deep invasion of B. coli was not reversed, possibly because of the failure of the treatment regimen, and led to the death of the gorilla.

Pork Quality Traits According to Postmortem pH and Temperature in Berkshire

PubMed Central

Kim, Tae Wan; Kim, Chul Wook; Yang, Mi Ra; No, Gun Ryoung; Kim, Il-Suk

2016-01-01

This study was performed to investigate the role of pH and temperature postmortem, and to demonstrate the importance of these factors in determining meat quality. Postmortem pH45min (pH at 45 min postmortem or initial pH) via analysis of Pearson’s correlation showed high positive correlation with pH change pHc24 (pH change from pH45min to pH24h postmortem). However, postmortem pH after 24 h (pH24h or ultimate pH) had a high negative correlation with pH change, pHc24, CIE L*, and protein content. Initial temperature postmortem (T1h ) was positively associated with a change in temperature from 45 min to 24 h postmortem (Tc24) and cooking loss, but negatively correlated with water holding capacity. Temperature at 24 h postmortem (T24h) was negatively associated with Tc24. Collectively, these results indicate that higher initial pH was associated with higher pHc24, T1h, and Tc24. However, higher initial pH was associated with a reduction in carcass weight, backfat thickness, CIE a* and b*, water holding capacity, collagen and fat content, drip loss, and cooking loss as well as decreased shear force. In contrast, CIE a* and b*, drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force in higher ultimate pH was showed by a similar pattern to higher initial pH, whereas pHc24, carcass weight, backfat thickness, water holding capacity, fat content, moisture content, protein content, T1h, T24h, and Tc24 were exhibited by completely differential patterns (p<0.05). Therefore, we suggest that initial pH, ultimate pH, and temperatures postmortem are important factors in determining the meat quality of pork. PMID:27499661

Cardiac troponin T determination by a highly sensitive assay in postmortem serum and pericardial fluid.

PubMed

González-Herrera, Lucas; Valenzuela, Aurora; Ramos, Valentín; Blázquez, Antonia; Villanueva, Enrique

2016-06-01

The main objective of this study was to test, for the first time, a highly sensitive cardiac troponin T (cTnThs) assay in postmortem serum and pericardial fluid and to evaluate cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels and their stability after death at different postmortem intervals, in an attempt to determine the viability of the cTnThs assay in the postmortem diagnosis of the cause of death. cTnT levels were determined in serum and pericardial fluid samples taken from 58 cadavers at known postmortem intervals, whose causes of death were categorized into the following groups: (1) sudden cardiac deaths, (2) multiple trauma, (3) mechanical asphyxia, and (4) other natural deaths. cTnT was determined by inmunoassay, using the Troponin T highly sensitive STAT assay (Roche(®)). Average cTnT levels measured by a highly sensitive assay in postmortem serum were markedly higher than clinical serum levels. Moreover, similar results, higher cTnT levels in postmortem pericardial fluid, were obtained when compared to levels found in pericardial fluid taken from two living patients during coronary artery bypass surgery. cTnT levels in both postmortem fluids remained stable for up to 34 h after death. No differences in cTnT levels in either postmortem fluid by sex and age were detected. Levels of cTnT found in pericardial fluid in the other natural deaths group were significantly lower than the cTnT levels found in that postmortem fluid from any of the other causes of death groups. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that determination of cTnT by a highly sensitive assay in pericardial fluid can provide forensic pathologists with a complementary test to the diagnosis of cause of death.

Postmortem Brain: An Underutilized Substrate for Studying Severe Mental Illness

PubMed Central

McCullumsmith, Robert E; Hammond, John H; Shan, Dan; Meador-Woodruff, James H

2014-01-01

We propose that postmortem tissue is an underutilized substrate that may be used to translate genetic and/or preclinical studies, particularly for neuropsychiatric illnesses with complex etiologies. Postmortem brain tissues from subjects with schizophrenia have been extensively studied, and thus serve as a useful vehicle for illustrating the challenges associated with this biological substrate. Schizophrenia is likely caused by a combination of genetic risk and environmental factors that combine to create a disease phenotype that is typically not apparent until late adolescence. The complexity of this illness creates challenges for hypothesis testing aimed at understanding the pathophysiology of the illness, as postmortem brain tissues collected from individuals with schizophrenia reflect neuroplastic changes from a lifetime of severe mental illness, as well as treatment with antipsychotic medications. While there are significant challenges with studying postmortem brain, such as the postmortem interval, it confers a translational element that is difficult to recapitulate in animal models. On the other hand, data derived from animal models typically provide specific mechanistic and behavioral measures that cannot be generated using human subjects. Convergence of these two approaches has led to important insights for understanding molecular deficits and their causes in this illness. In this review, we discuss the problem of schizophrenia, review the common challenges related to postmortem studies, discuss the application of biochemical approaches to this substrate, and present examples of postmortem schizophrenia studies that illustrate the role of the postmortem approach for generating important new leads for understanding the pathophysiology of severe mental illness. PMID:24091486

Pilot-Reported Beta-Blockers Identified by Forensic Toxicology Analysis of Postmortem Specimens.

PubMed

Canfield, Dennis V; Dubowski, Kurt M; Whinnery, James M; Forster, Estrella M

2018-01-01

This study compared beta-blockers reported by pilots with the medications found by postmortem toxicology analysis of specimens received from fatal aviation accidents between 1999 and 2015. Several studies have compared drugs using the standard approach: Compare the drug found by toxicology analysis with the drug reported by the pilot. This study uniquely examined first the pilot-reported medication and then compared it to that detected by toxicology analysis. This study will serve two purposes: (i) to determine the capability of a toxicology laboratory to detect reported medications, and (ii) to identify pilots with medications below detectable limits. All information required for this study was extracted from the Toxicology Data Base system and was searched using ToxFlo or SQL Server Management Studio. The following information was collected and analyzed: pilot-reported trade and/or generic drug, date specimens received, time of accident, type of aviation operations (CFR), state, pilot level, age, class of medical, specimen type, specimen concentration, dose reported, frequency reported associated with the accident, quantity reported, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident event number, and all NTSB reports. There were 319 pilots that either reported taking a beta-blocker or were found to be taking a beta-blocker by postmortem toxicology analysis. Time of death, therapeutic concentration and specimen type were found to be factors in the ability of the laboratory to detect beta-blockers. Beta-blockers taken by pilots will, in most cases, be found by a competent postmortem forensic toxicology laboratory at therapeutic concentrations. The dose taken by the pilot was not found to be a factor in the ability of the laboratory to identify beta-blockers. Time of dose, route of administration, specimen tested and therapeutic concentration of the drug were found to be factors in the ability of the laboratory to identify beta-blockers in postmortem specimens. Published by Oxford University Press 2017. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Evaluation of Vitality in the Experimental Hanging Model of Rats by Using Immunohistochemical IL-1β Antibody Staining.

PubMed

Balandiz, Hüseyin; Pehlivan, Sultan; Çiçek, Ali Fuat; Tuğcu, Harun

2015-12-01

Hanging is the most common suicide method in the world, and the discrimination of antemortem-postmortem hanging must be done at autopsy. The aim of this experimental study was to examine the immunohistochemical expression of IL-1β antibody at the hanging mark skin samples of rats to discriminate antemortem and postmortem hangings. A total of 20 Wistar albino rats were used for this study. The groups were as follows: A-1, antemortem control group; A-2, antemortem second-hour hanging mark skin samples; A-3, antemortem 24th-hour hanging mark skin samples; A-4, antemortem 72nd-hour hanging mark skin samples; B-1, postmortem control group; and B-2, postmortem second-hour hanging mark skin samples. Interleukin-1β immunostaining was performed to all tissue samples. For epidermal cells, group A-1 samples did not show IL-1β immunostaining, group A-2 samples were severely immunostained, and groups A-3 and A-4 samples' staining were slightly decreased. There was no IL-1β antibody staining in groups B-1 and B-2 samples. For adnexal cells, groups A-1 and B-1 samples did not show IL-1β immunostaining, staining of group A-2 samples was mild to severe, and groups A-3 and A-4 samples' staining were slightly decreased. Half of the group B-2 samples did not show IL-1β immunostaining. For subepidermal cells, most of the samples of groups A-1 and B-1 showed slight immunostaining, groups A-2 and B-2 samples' staining were mild to severe, and there were slight immunostaining in groups A-3 and A-4 samples. The majority of vascular structure cells did not show IL-1β immunostaining. Interleukin-1β immunostaining of epidermal cells can discriminate antemortem-postmortem hangings, but vascular structure cells and subepidermal cells cannot discriminate vital hangings.

Ex-vivo quantitative susceptibility mapping of human brain hemispheres

PubMed Central

Kotrotsou, Aikaterini; Tamhane, Ashish A.; Dawe, Robert J.; Kapasi, Alifiya; Leurgans, Sue E.; Schneider, Julie A.; Bennett, David A.; Arfanakis, Konstantinos

2017-01-01

Ex-vivo brain quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) allows investigation of brain characteristics at essentially the same point in time as histopathologic examination, and therefore has the potential to become an important tool for determining the role of QSM as a diagnostic and monitoring tool of age-related neuropathologies. In order to be able to translate the ex-vivo QSM findings to in-vivo, it is crucial to understand the effects of death and chemical fixation on brain magnetic susceptibility measurements collected ex-vivo. Thus, the objective of this work was twofold: a) to assess the behavior of magnetic susceptibility in both gray and white matter of human brain hemispheres as a function of time postmortem, and b) to establish the relationship between in-vivo and ex-vivo gray matter susceptibility measurements on the same hemispheres. Five brain hemispheres from community-dwelling older adults were imaged ex-vivo with QSM on a weekly basis for six weeks postmortem, and the longitudinal behavior of ex-vivo magnetic susceptibility in both gray and white matter was assessed. The relationship between in-vivo and ex-vivo gray matter susceptibility measurements was investigated using QSM data from eleven older adults imaged both antemortem and postmortem. No systematic change in ex-vivo magnetic susceptibility of gray or white matter was observed over time postmortem. Additionally, it was demonstrated that, gray matter magnetic susceptibility measured ex-vivo may be well modeled as a linear function of susceptibility measured in-vivo. In conclusion, magnetic susceptibility in gray and white matter measured ex-vivo with QSM does not systematically change in the first six weeks after death. This information is important for future cross-sectional ex-vivo QSM studies of hemispheres imaged at different postmortem intervals. Furthermore, the linear relationship between in-vivo and ex-vivo gray matter magnetic susceptibility suggests that ex-vivo QSM captures information linked to antemortem gray matter magnetic susceptibility, which is important for translation of ex-vivo QSM findings to in-vivo. PMID:29261693

Post-sampling release of free fatty acids - effects of heat stabilization and methods of euthanasia.

PubMed

Jernerén, Fredrik; Söderquist, Marcus; Karlsson, Oskar

2015-01-01

The field of lipid research has made progress and it is now possible to study the lipidome of cells and organelles. A basic requirement of a successful lipid study is adequate pre-analytical sample handling, as some lipids can be unstable and postmortem changes can cause substantial accumulation of free fatty acids (FFAs). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of conductive heat stabilization and euthanasia methods on FFA levels in the rat brain and liver using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The analysis of brain homogenates clearly demonstrated phospholipase activity and time-dependent post-sampling changes in the lipid pool of snap frozen non-stabilized tissue. There was a significant increase in FFAs already at 2min, which continued over time. Heat stabilization was shown to be an efficient method to reduce phospholipase activity and ex vivo lipolysis. Post-sampling effects due to tissue thawing and sample preparation induced a massive release of FFAs (up to 3700%) from non-stabilized liver and brain tissues compared to heat stabilized tissue. Furthermore, the choice of euthanasia method significantly influenced the levels of FFAs in the brain. The FFAs were decreased by 15-44% in the group of animals euthanized by pentobarbital injection compared with CO2 inhalation or decapitation. Our results highlight the importance of considering euthanasia methods and pre-analytical treatment in lipid analysis, factors which may otherwise interfere with the outcome of the experiments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adverse events, toxicity and post-mortem data on duloxetine: case reports and literature survey.

PubMed

Vey, Eric L; Kovelman, Inna

2010-05-01

Duloxetine, a dual acting norepinephrine serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is a relatively new pharmacologic agent utilized in the treatment of depression, as well as diabetic neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and female stress urinary incontinence. This expanding scope of usage will inevitably lead to its eventual appearance during routine post-mortem toxicologic assays. Currently there is a paucity of post-mortem toxicologic data concerning duloxetine. The current report provides six additional case reports of post-mortem duloxetine levels, along with a review of duloxetine's pharmacokinetics, and the toxicologic manifestations which have been reported in the literature. The post-mortem levels reported, including the highest level recorded to date, are integrated with previously published reports to generate a foundation for a nascent guide to the interpretation of post-mortem duloxetine levels that could be encountered during routine post-mortem toxicologic analyses, and establish a basis upon which the establishment of toxic and lethal thresholds for this compound can be further elucidated with greater clarity. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Pulmonary disease due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a horse: zoonotic concerns and limitations of antemortem testing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A case of pulmonary tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis was diagnosed in a horse. Clinical evaluation performed prior to euthanasia did not suggest tuberculosis, but postmortem examination provided pathological and bacteriological evidence of disease. In the lungs, multiple tuberculoid...

Suspect osteogenesis imperfecta in a male kitten

PubMed Central

Evason, Michelle D.; Taylor, Susan M.; Bebchuk, Trevor N.

2007-01-01

A 4.5-month-old, male domestic shorthair was presented with bilateral femoral fractures after falling from a low height. Radiographs revealed reduced radio-opacity and thin cortices of all long bones. A presumptive diagnosis of osteodystrophy, secondary to osteogenesis imperfecta, was made on postmortem examination. PMID:17436908

Assessment of safety and interferon gamma responses of Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine in goat kids and milking goats.

PubMed

Pérez de Val, Bernat; Vidal, Enric; López-Soria, Sergio; Marco, Alberto; Cervera, Zoraida; Martín, Maite; Mercader, Irene; Singh, Mahavir; Raeber, Alex; Domingo, Mariano

2016-02-10

Vaccination of domestic animals has emerged as an alternative long-term strategy for the control of tuberculosis (TB). A trial under field conditions was conducted in a TB-free goat herd to assess the safety of the Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine. Eleven kids and 10 milking goats were vaccinated with BCG. Bacterial shedding and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) responses were monitored throughout the study. Comprehensive pathological examination and mycobacterial culture of target tissues were performed. BCG vaccine strain was only isolated from the draining lymph node of the injection site of a kid euthanized at week 8 post-vaccination. The remaining animals were euthanized at week 24. Six out of 20 showed small granulomas at the injection site. BCG shedding was not detected in either faeces or in milk throughout the study. All vaccinated kids showed BCG-induced IFN-γ responses at week 8 post-vaccination. BCG vaccination of goats showed no lack of biological safety for the animals, environment and public health, and local adverse reactions were negligible. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exhumation following incorrect identification. A case report.

PubMed

Phillips, V M; Thompson, I O

1992-06-01

The exhumation of two victims of a light aircraft accident was performed in February 1991 at Oudtshoorn, Cape. The exhumation was ordered by the magistrate on request of the parents of one of the victims who suspected that their son had been wrongly identified at the postmortem examination. At the pre-burial autopsy all the victims were positively identified, but the identity of two of the victims was subsequently reconsidered and reversed because one of them wore a silver bracelet. Burial then took place. The exhumation was ordered one month after the accident at which stage the bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition. Oral autopsies were performed on each of the victims, the jaws were radiographed and postmortem dental records drawn up. Dental records were obtained from the dentists who treated them and the information from these records was used to draw up ante-mortem dental records. A comparison between the postmortem and ante-mortem records showed that the victims were incorrectly identified and reburial in the correct graves was subsquently carried out. This case again emphasies the importance of dental identification in cases of severe burning, multilation or decomposition in order to avoid mistaken identity and incorrect burial in the future.

In Defense of Clinical Autopsy and Its Practice in Cuba.

PubMed

Espinosa-Brito, Alfredo D; de Mendoza-Amat, José Hurtado

2017-01-01

There has been a notable decrease in the global practice of clinical autopsy; the rate has fallen to below 10%, even in high-income countries. This is attributed to several causes, including increased costs, overreliance on modern diagnostic techniques, cultural and religious factors, the emergence of new infectious diseases and negative attitudes on the part of doctors, even pathologists. Alternative methods to autopsy in postmortem studies have been developed based on imaging, endoscopy and biopsy (all quite expensive). These methods have been used in developed countries but never as effectively as the classic autopsy for identifying cause of death and potential medical errors. Although Cuba has also seen a decrease in its autopsy rates, they remain comparatively high. Between 1996 and 2015, there were 687,689 hospital deaths in Cuba and 381,193 autopsies, 55.4% of the total. These autopsies have positively affected medical care, training, research, innovation, management and society as a whole. Autopsies are an important tool in the National Health System's quest for safe, quality patient care based on the lessons learned from studying the deceased. KEYWORDS Autopsy, postmortem examination, postmortem diagnosis, quality of care, patient safety, medical error, Cuba.

Post-mortem hemoparasite detection in free-living Brazilian brown brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira, Fischer 1814).

PubMed

Silveira, Júlia Angélica Gonçalves da; Rabelo, Elida Mara Leite; Lima, Paula Cristina Senra; Chaves, Bárbara Neves; Ribeiro, Múcio Flávio Barbosa

2014-01-01

Tick-borne infections can result in serious health problems for wild ruminants, and some of these infectious agents can be considered zoonosis. The aim of the present study was the post-mortem detection of hemoparasites in free-living Mazama gouazoubira from Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The deer samples consisted of free-living M. gouazoubira (n = 9) individuals that died after capture. Necropsy examinations of the carcasses were performed to search for macroscopic alterations. Organ samples were collected for subsequent imprint slides, and nested PCR assays were performed to detect hemoparasite species. Imprint slide assays from four deer showed erythrocytes infected with Piroplasmida small trophozoites, and A. marginale corpuscles were observed in erythrocytes from two animals. A. marginale and trophozoite co-infections occurred in two deer. A nested PCR analysis of the organs showed that six of the nine samples were positive for Theileria sp., five were positive for A. phagocytophilum and three were positive for A. marginale, with co-infection occurring in four deer. The results of the present study demonstrate that post-mortem diagnostics using imprint slides and molecular assays are an effective method for detecting hemoparasites in organs.

Forensic entomology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amendt, Jens; Krettek, Roman; Zehner, Richard

Necrophagous insects are important in the decomposition of cadavers. The close association between insects and corpses and the use of insects in medicocriminal investigations is the subject of forensic entomology. The present paper reviews the historical background of this discipline, important postmortem processes, and discusses the scientific basis underlying attempts to determine the time interval since death. Using medical techniques, such as the measurement of body temperature or analysing livor and rigor mortis, time since death can only be accurately measured for the first two or three days after death. In contrast, by calculating the age of immature insect stages feeding on a corpse and analysing the necrophagous species present, postmortem intervals from the first day to several weeks can be estimated. These entomological methods may be hampered by difficulties associated with species identification, but modern DNA techniques are contributing to the rapid and authoritative identification of necrophagous insects. Other uses of entomological data include the toxicological examination of necrophagous larvae from a corpse to identify and estimate drugs and toxicants ingested by the person when alive and the proof of possible postmortem manipulations. Forensic entomology may even help in investigations dealing with people who are alive but in need of care, by revealing information about cases of neglect.

Hematocrit Measurement with R2* and Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping in Postmortem Brain.

PubMed

Walsh, A J; Sun, H; Emery, D J; Wilman, A H

2018-05-24

Noninvasive venous oxygenation quantification with MR imaging will improve the neurophysiologic investigation and the understanding of the pathophysiology in neurologic diseases. Available MR imaging methods are limited by sensitivity to flow and often require assumptions of the hematocrit level. In situ postmortem imaging enables evaluation of methods in a fully deoxygenated environment without flow artifacts, allowing direct calculation of hematocrit. This study compares 2 venous oxygenation quantification methods in in situ postmortem subjects. Transverse relaxation (R2*) mapping and quantitative susceptibility mapping were performed on a whole-body 4.7T MR imaging system. Intravenous measurements in major draining intracranial veins were compared between the 2 methods in 3 postmortem subjects. The quantitative susceptibility mapping technique was also applied in 10 healthy control subjects and compared with reference venous oxygenation values. In 2 early postmortem subjects, R2* mapping and quantitative susceptibility mapping measurements within intracranial veins had a significant and strong correlation ( R 2 = 0.805, P = .004 and R 2 = 0.836, P = .02). Higher R2* and susceptibility values were consistently demonstrated within gravitationally dependent venous segments during the early postmortem period. Hematocrit ranged from 0.102 to 0.580 in postmortem subjects, with R2* and susceptibility as large as 291 seconds -1 and 1.75 ppm, respectively. Measurements of R2* and quantitative susceptibility mapping within large intracranial draining veins have a high correlation in early postmortem subjects. This study supports the use of quantitative susceptibility mapping for evaluation of in vivo venous oxygenation and postmortem hematocrit concentrations. © 2018 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Ultrasound as a monitoring tool for cystic echinococcosis in sheep.

PubMed

Dore, F; Varcasia, A; Pipia, A P; Sanna, G; Pinna Parpaglia, M L; Corda, A; Romig, T; Scala, A

2014-06-16

An ultrasound-based survey for cystic echinococcosis (CE) in sheep was carried out in Sardinia in 2012. The study was done on three farms (A, B, C) which had been pre-selected for different CE prevalence levels (A: >80%, B: 50-80%, C: <50%). In total, 129 sheep were examined on the farms using portable ultrasound equipment (A: n=51, B: n=30, C: n=48). Within a period of 20 days after ultrasound examination, all sheep were slaughtered and underwent a parasitological post-mortem examination for cysts in the liver and lungs. With post-mortem as gold standard, ultrasonography gave a test sensitivity of 88.7% and a specificity of 75.9%, while the positive and negative predictive values were 81.8% and 84.6%, respectively. When only sheep with fertile cysts were considered, the sensitivity of the test increased to 100%. We conclude that the ultrasound examination of the liver in sheep - using state-of-the-art technology - is a sensitive and specific diagnostic tool, which is cost-effective, highly appropriate for field use and requires only moderate time (no shaving required). The method can also be applied to other livestock species and will be useful tool in epidemiological studies, monitoring schemes and vaccination/control trials. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An evaluation of the histological effects of intra-articular methadone in the canine model.

PubMed

Jones, Timothy A; Hand, Walter R; Ports, Michael D; Unger, Daniel V; Herbert, Daniel; Pellegrini, Joseph E

2003-02-01

Methadone hydrochloride is an opiate that has pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties that suggest it may provide longer analgesia than morphine when administered via the intra-articular route. However, no studies to date have been conducted examining the effects of intra-articular methadone hydrochloride on local tissues. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the histopathologic effects of intra-articular methadone hydrochloride on local tissues in the canine knee. Nine canines, 1 to 4 years old, weighing between 20 kg and 23 kg were used. All canines had their knees randomized to receive either bupivacaine, 0.5% with epinephrine 1:200,000 (4.5 mL), and 5 mg methadone hydrochloride (0.5 mL) for the study knee, or bupivacaine, 0.5% with epinephrine 1:200,000 (4.5 mL), and 0.5 mL normal saline for the control knee. Serum methadone hydrochloride levels were obtained on all canines at 6 and 24 hours. Canines were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups to be euthanized at either 24 hours, 14 days, or 28 days. Following euthanization and necropsy, synovial fluid levels and tissue samples were obtained and examined for histopathologic changes. Synovial fluid samples noted a few white blood cells at 24 hours and none at 14 and 28 days. Tissue samples showed no histopathologic changes, and serum concentration levels of methadone hydrochloride were negligible.

[Research Progress of Carrion-breeding Phorid Flies for Post-mortem Interval Estimation in Forensic Medicine].

PubMed

Li, L; Feng, D X; Wu, J

2016-10-01

It is a difficult problem of forensic medicine to accurately estimate the post-mortem interval. Entomological approach has been regarded as an effective way to estimate the post-mortem interval. The developmental biology of carrion-breeding flies has an important position at the post-mortem interval estimation. Phorid flies are tiny and occur as the main or even the only insect evidence in relatively enclosed environments. This paper reviews the research progress of carrion-breeding phorid flies for estimating post-mortem interval in forensic medicine which includes their roles, species identification and age determination of immatures. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine.

Decreased Brain pH as a Shared Endophenotype of Psychiatric Disorders

PubMed Central

Hagihara, Hideo; Catts, Vibeke S; Katayama, Yuta; Shoji, Hirotaka; Takagi, Tsuyoshi; Huang, Freesia L; Nakao, Akito; Mori, Yasuo; Huang, Kuo-Ping; Ishii, Shunsuke; Graef, Isabella A; Nakayama, Keiichi I; Shannon Weickert, Cynthia; Miyakawa, Tsuyoshi

2018-01-01

Although the brains of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder exhibit decreased brain pH relative to those of healthy controls upon postmortem examination, it remains controversial whether this finding reflects a primary feature of the diseases or is a result of confounding factors such as medication and agonal state. To date, systematic investigation of brain pH has not been undertaken using animal models that can be studied without confounds inherent in human studies. In the present study, we first reevaluated the pH of the postmortem brains of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder by conducting a meta-analysis of existing data sets from 10 studies. We then measured pH, lactate levels, and related metabolite levels in brain homogenates from five neurodevelopmental mouse models of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. All mice were drug naive with the same agonal state, postmortem interval, and age within each strain. Our meta-analysis revealed that brain pH was significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder than in control participants, even when a few potential confounding factors (postmortem interval, age, and history of antipsychotic use) were considered. In animal experiments, we observed significantly lower pH and higher lactate levels in the brains of model mice relative to controls, as well as a significant negative correlation between pH and lactate levels. Our findings suggest that lower pH associated with increased lactate levels is not a mere artifact, but rather implicated in the underlying pathophysiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. PMID:28776581

Demodex phylloides infection in swine reared in a peri-urban family farm located on the outskirts of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Bersano, Josete Garcia; Mendes, Márcia Cristina; Duarte, Fernanda Calvo; Del Fava, Claudia; de Oliveira, Sueli Moda; Filha, Elizabeth Spósito; Pinheiro, Eliana Scarcelli; de Castro Nassar, Alessandra Figueiredo; de Vasconcellos Bilynskyj, Maria Cristina; Ogata, Renato Akio; Sampaio, Paulo Henrique Selbmann; Genovez, Margareth Élide

2016-10-30

This paper reports the occurrence of porcine demodicosis caused by the mite Demodex phylloides in hogs reared in a peri-urban family farm located in Francisco Morato, a municipality of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, capital city of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. In a parcel of forty Landrace - Large White cross hogs, approximately four months old, four animals presented severe skin lesions in the form of small nodules over their entire body, especially in the periocular region, snout, lower abdomen and flanks. Two hogs had to be euthanized for animal welfare reasons, which enabled post-mortem examination. Skin scrapings revealed eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults of D. phylloides. Purulent subcutaneous nodules with intense parasitic folliculitis and intense perifollicular inflammatory reaction were present. Enterobacteria and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus spp. were isolated from the skin pustules. Necropsy revealed milk spotted liver, enteritis and enlargement of mesenteric lymph nodes. Protozoa (Eimeria spp. and Balantidium sp.), helminth eggs (Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis and strongyles) and Brachyspira spp. were found in faeces. Staphylococcus spp. and enterobacteria were isolated from internal organs. All remaining hogs were treated with ivermectin at a daily oral dose of 0.45g/kg of feed, during seven days. Fifteen days after treatment, remission of symptoms was observed in the surviving animals with demodicosis; absence of mites was confirmed by skin scraping examinations. The hogs were reared under poor environmental, nutritional and sanitary conditions, resulting in multimorbidity and immunosuppression. Severe clinical porcine demodicosis was triggered when the animals were castrated. Family pig farmers had been suffering economic losses due to the stunted growth of the herd. In addition to that, the lesions found on the skin and in the internal organs would result in condemnation of meat and viscera for human consumption. As part of a Public Policies Project, farm facilities were renovated with governmental aid, while family farmers received training. Good management practices and biosecurity measures were introduced in the herd. Educative policies and financial support were important to guide family pig farmers towards better husbandry practices, allowing them to raise healthy hogs in compliance with market demands. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis in a patient with a biventricular pacemaker].

PubMed

Cuesta, José M; Fariñas, María C; Rodilla, Irene G; Salesa, Ricardo; de Berrazueta, José R

2005-05-01

Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis is one of the rarest and severest complications in cardiological patients. We describe a patient with an intracardial pacemaker who was diagnosed as having Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis. Postmortem examination showed a large, Aspergillus-infected thrombus encased in the right ventricle, pulmonary trunk and main pulmonary branches.

9 CFR 71.21 - Tissue and blood testing at slaughter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., taking into account whether APHIS will be conducting complete tests at the facility, or only collecting..., until after the post-mortem examination is completed; (4) Includes tables, benches, and other equipment on which sample collection and processing are to be performed, of such design, material, and...

Acute pasteurellosis in wild big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blehert, David S.; Maluping, Ramón P.; Green, David E.; Berlowski-Zier, Brenda M.; Ballmann, Anne E.; Langenberg, Julia

2014-01-01

We report acute fatal pasteurellosis in wild big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) in Wisconsin, USA. Mortality of approximately 100 bats was documented over 4 wk, with no evidence for predatory injuries. Pasteurella multocida serotype 1 was isolated from multiple internal organs from four of five bats examined postmortem.

Combined distemper-adenoviral pneumonia in a dog

PubMed Central

Rodriguez-Tovar, Luis E.; Ramírez-Romero, Rafael; Valdez-Nava, Yazel; Nevárez-Garza, Alicia M.; Zárate-Ramos, Juan J.; López, Alfonso

2007-01-01

A 3 1/2-month-old pug with oculonasal discharge and seizures was submitted for postmortem examination. Grossly, the lungs had cranioventral consolidation, and microscopically, 2 distinct types of inclusion bodies compatible with Canine distemper virus and Canine adenovirus type 2. Presence of both viruses was confirmed via immunohistochemical staining. PMID:17616064

Application of contrast media in post-mortem imaging (CT and MRI).

PubMed

Grabherr, Silke; Grimm, Jochen; Baumann, Pia; Mangin, Patrice

2015-09-01

The application of contrast media in post-mortem radiology differs from clinical approaches in living patients. Post-mortem changes in the vascular system and the absence of blood flow lead to specific problems that have to be considered for the performance of post-mortem angiography. In addition, interpreting the images is challenging due to technique-related and post-mortem artefacts that have to be known and that are specific for each applied technique. Although the idea of injecting contrast media is old, classic methods are not simply transferable to modern radiological techniques in forensic medicine, as they are mostly dedicated to single-organ studies or applicable only shortly after death. With the introduction of modern imaging techniques, such as post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) and post-mortem magnetic resonance (PMMR), to forensic death investigations, intensive research started to explore their advantages and limitations compared to conventional autopsy. PMCT has already become a routine investigation in several centres, and different techniques have been developed to better visualise the vascular system and organ parenchyma in PMCT. In contrast, the use of PMMR is still limited due to practical issues, and research is now starting in the field of PMMR angiography. This article gives an overview of the problems in post-mortem contrast media application, the various classic and modern techniques, and the issues to consider by using different media.

"Rigor mortis" in a live patient.

PubMed

Chakravarthy, Murali

2010-03-01

Rigor mortis is conventionally a postmortem change. Its occurrence suggests that death has occurred at least a few hours ago. The authors report a case of "Rigor Mortis" in a live patient after cardiac surgery. The likely factors that may have predisposed such premortem muscle stiffening in the reported patient are, intense low cardiac output status, use of unusually high dose of inotropic and vasopressor agents and likely sepsis. Such an event may be of importance while determining the time of death in individuals such as described in the report. It may also suggest requirement of careful examination of patients with muscle stiffening prior to declaration of death. This report is being published to point out the likely controversies that might arise out of muscle stiffening, which should not always be termed rigor mortis and/ or postmortem.

The effect on cadaver blood DNA identification by the use of targeted and whole body post-mortem computed tomography angiography.

PubMed

Rutty, Guy N; Barber, Jade; Amoroso, Jasmin; Morgan, Bruno; Graham, Eleanor A M

2013-12-01

Post-mortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA) involves the injection of contrast agents. This could have both a dilution effect on biological fluid samples and could affect subsequent post-contrast analytical laboratory processes. We undertook a small sample study of 10 targeted and 10 whole body PMCTA cases to consider whether or not these two methods of PMCTA could affect post-PMCTA cadaver blood based DNA identification. We used standard methodology to examine DNA from blood samples obtained before and after the PMCTA procedure. We illustrate that neither of these PMCTA methods had an effect on the alleles called following short tandem repeat based DNA profiling, and therefore the ability to undertake post-PMCTA blood based DNA identification.

Role of Cardiac Myocytes Heart Fatty Acid Binding Protein Depletion (H-FABP) in Early Myocardial Infarction in Human Heart (Autopsy Study).

PubMed

Shabaiek, Amany; Ismael, Nour El-Hoda; Elsheikh, Samar; Amin, Hebat Allah

2016-03-15

Many immunohistochemical markers have been used in the postmortem detection of early myocardial infarction. In the present study we examined the role of Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), in the detection of early myocardial infarction. We obtained samples from 40 human autopsy hearts with/without histopathological signs of ischemia. All cases of definite and probable myocardial infarction showed a well-defined area of H-FABP depletion. All of the control cases showed strong H-FABP expression, except two markedly autolysed myocardial samples that showed affected antigenicity. Thus, we suggest H-FABP as being one of the valuable tools facing the problem of postmortem detection of early myocardial infarction/ischemia, but not in autolysis.

Physiological, Behavioral, and Histological Responses of Male C57BL/6N Mice to Different CO2 Chamber Replacement Rates

PubMed Central

Boivin, Gregory P; Bottomley, Michael A; Dudley, Emily S; Schiml, Patricia A; Wyatt, Christopher N; Grobe, Nadja

2016-01-01

Rodent euthanasia with CO2 by using gradual displacement of 10% to 30% of the chamber volume per minute is considered acceptable by the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia. However, whether a 50% to 100% chamber replacement rate (CRR) of CO2 is more painful or distressful than 10% to 30% CRR is unclear. Therefore, we examined physiological and behavioral parameters, corticosterone and ACTH levels, and lung histology of mice euthanized at CRR of 15%, 30%, 50%, or 100%. Adult male C57BL/6N mice were euthanized at different CO2 CRR as physiological parameters were recorded telemetrically. Video recordings were reviewed to determine when the mouse first became ataxic, when it was fully recumbent (characterized by the mouse's nose resting on the cage floor), and when breathing stopped. Overall, CO2 euthanasia increased cardiovascular parameters and activity. Specific significant differences that were associated with 50% to 100% compared with 15% to 30% CO2 CRR included an increase in systolic blood pressure per second from initiation of CO2 until ataxia, a decrease in total diastolic blood pressure until ataxia, and a decrease in total heart rate until ataxia, immobility, and death. All physiological responses occurred more rapidly with higher CRR. Activity levels, behavioral responses, plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone levels, and lung pathology were not different between groups. We found no physiological, behavioral, or histologic evidence that 15% or 30% CO2 CRR is less painful or distressful than is 50% or 100% CO2 CRR. We conclude that 50% to 100% CO2 CRR is acceptable for euthanizing adult male C57BL/6N mice. PMID:27423153

Prevalence of cryptosporidium infection and characteristics of oocyst shedding in a breeding colony of leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius).

PubMed

Deming, Clare; Greiner, Ellis; Uhl, Elizabeth W

2008-12-01

Cryptosporidiosis is an emerging problem in reptile medicine and has been associated with a wasting syndrome in leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius). This study determined the prevalence of infection in a breeding colony of leopard geckos to be 9.8%. Two groups of 20 geckos, one that was fecal positive for oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp., and one, whose individuals were fecal negative at the inception of the study, were followed for 2 mo. Fecal samples were tested for oocysts every 2 wk, body weights were measured, and a body condition score was assigned for each gecko. Selected geckos from these two groups were euthanized and necropsied. There were statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between the two groups for mean body weight, mean body condition score, and prevalence of infection. Cryptosporidium sp. infection is endemic in this breeding colony, and there were a large number of geckos with a subclinical or carrier state of infection. These animals continued to be infected with Cryptosporidium sp. but gained weight and remained in good body condition. Only one gecko in the entire group of 40 was confirmed to be negative for oocysts or developmental stages by repeated fecal exams and histopathology. An additional 37 severely emaciated geckos from the breeding colony were euthanized, and all were positive for Cryptosporidium sp. on histopathologic examination of the gastrointestinal tract. The results of this study indicate that although some animals can recover from a clinical infection, if a gecko is severely wasted, it should be euthanized because of the poor prognosis and possible source of infection to other geckos.

Ovarian blood vessel occlusion as a surgical sterilization method in rats.

PubMed

Murakami, Eduardo; Sartori de Camargo, Laíza; Freitas Cardoso, Karym Christine de; Miguel, Marina Pacheco; Tavares, Denise Cláudia; Santos Honsho, Cristiane dos; Ferreira de Souza, Fabiana

2014-04-01

To evaluate the female sterilization by occlusion of the ovarian blood flow, using the rat as experimental model. Fifty-five females rats were divided into four groups: I (n=10), bilateral ovariectomy, euthanized at 60 or 90 days; II (n=5), opening the abdominal cavity, euthanized at 90 days; III (n=20), bilateral occlusion of the ovarian blood supply using titanium clips, euthanized at 60 or 90 days; and IV (n=20), bilateral occlusion of the ovarian blood supply using nylon thread, euthanized at 60 or 90 days. The estrous cycle was monitored by vaginal cytology. After euthanasia, the reproductive tissues were evaluated histologically. Ovarian atresia was identified macroscopically at 60 days after surgery in the rats in groups III and IV; however, most of the rats in group III maintained cyclicity. Histology of the tissues from group IV revealed that the ovarian tissue was replaced by dense fibrous connective tissue that was slightly vascularized and that intact follicles were absent by 90 days. Ovarian blood vessels occluded caused ischemia, leading to progressive tissue necrosis, and bilateral occlusion using a nylon ligature is a viable method for surgical sterilization.

Long-term bowhead whale abundance data collected near Point Barrow Alaska (1978-2011) and postmortem examination data (1974-2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, J.; Suydam, R.

2012-12-01

Primarily in response to concerns about the sustainability of the subsistence bowhead whale harvest along the Alaskan coast, population surveys were initiated by NOAA in 1978, and were conducted by the North Slope Borough from 1981 to present. The surveys of migrating bowhead whales were made from pressure ridges on the landfast sea ice margin in the vicinity of Point Barrow, Alaska. Surveys were conducted 24 hr/day from about 15 April and 1 June depending on weather and ice conditions. Specific observation data include: (for each whale sighting) date, time, location, whale group size, species, migration speed and direction, (every 2 hrs) ice floe speed and direction (surrogate for current data), weather, pressure ridge height, bird observations and other data. Full-time acoustic surveillance during the survey has been conducted from 1984 to present. A statistically significant positive trend (3.5% year; 95% CI=2.2-4.8%) in bowhead whale population size is evident over this time period. The more recent abundance estimate was 12,631 (CV 0.2442) whales for year 2004. Over a more extensive time period, postmortem examinations of bowhead whales landed by Inupiat Eskimos have been made at Barrow and other whale hunting villages. We have detailed whale examination data from 1974-present with sporadic harvest data dating to the 1800s. The older records lack the detail of current examinations. These "harvest data" are connected with estimates of Yankee commercial whaling takes from 1848 to 1915 compiled by other researchers. Together they provide a continuous record of anthropogenic takes of bowhead whales for more than 150 years. These datasets have been essential in estimating sustainable harvest levels by the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee, NOAA and the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. The records are also used for modeling environmental effects on bowheads, oil and gas leasing decisions, and many other scientific projects and policy matters. The postmortem examinations provide an important means to monitor the general health condition of bowhead whales regarding long-term trends in body condition, parasite loads, contaminate loads and many other health parameters.

A Study on Postmortem Wound Dating by Gross and Histopathological Examination of Abrasions

PubMed Central

Vinay, Javaregowda; Harish, Sathyanarayana; Mangala, Gouri S.R.; Hugar, Basappa S.

2017-01-01

Introduction Abrasions are the most common blunt force injuries. The precise dating of injury is extremely important in forensic medicine practice. As we know, the wound healing occurs in well-orchestrated sequence, consisting of inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. A study of occurrence of such phases will help in understanding the sequence of events in wound healing. In this context, this study of wound dating from gross and microscopic level was taken. Materials and Methods Postmortem study of wound dating by gross and histopathological examination of abrasions was carried out in the Department of Forensic Medicine, in M.S. Ramaiah Medical College. A total of 101 abrasions were correlated to time frame the occurrence of different gross changes and microscopic changes that follow the blunt trauma. Abrasions ranging from 0 hour to a maximum of 45 days were studied. Results The gross changes of abrasions were in correlation with the microscopic changes; however, the role of the comorbid conditions is significant because the results showed variations with respect to healing process. Conclusions This study signifies that, if naked eye examination is studied along with histopathological examination, the reliability and accuracy of dating of wound increase. Whenever accurate determination of age is required, the autopsy surgeon can subject the samples for histopathological examination and correlate before opining the age of injury. PMID:28418938

Correlation between hepatobiliary scintigraphy and surgery or postmortem examination findings in dogs and cats with extrahepatic biliary obstruction, partial obstruction, or patency of the biliary system: 18 cases (1995-2004).

PubMed

Head, Laurie L; Daniel, Gregory B

2005-11-15

To evaluate the usefulness of serum biochemical variables and scintigraphic study results for differentiating between dogs and cats with complete extrahepatic biliary obstruction (EHO) and those with partial EHO or patent bile ducts. Retrospective case series. 17 dogs and 1 cat. Animals that underwent hepatobiliary scintigraphy and had either surgical or postmortem confirmation of the degree of bile duct patency were included. Scintigraphic images were evaluated and biliary tracts were classified as patent, partially obstructed but patent, or obstructed. Surgery or postmortem examination was considered the gold standard for diagnosis, and compared with those findings, sensitivity and specificity of scintigraphy were calculated. With absence of radioactivity in the intestinal tract as the diagnostic criterion for EHO, the sensitivity and specificity of scintigraphic diagnosis were both 83% when final images were acquired at 19 to 24 hours, compared with 100% and 33%, respectively, when 180 minutes was used as the cutoff time. Animals with partial biliary obstruction had less intestinal radioactivity that arrived later than that observed in animals with patent biliary tracts. Animals in which intestinal radioactivity has not been observed after the standard 3 to 4 hours should undergo additional scintigraphic imaging. Findings in animals with partial biliary obstruction include delayed arrival of radioactivity and less radioactivity in the intestine. Distinguishing between complete and partial biliary tract obstruction is important because animals with partial obstruction may respond favorably to medical management and should not be given an erroneous diagnosis of complete obstruction.

Iron deposits in post-mortem brains of patients with neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases: a semi-quantitative 7.0 T magnetic resonance imaging study.

PubMed

De Reuck, J L; Deramecourt, V; Auger, F; Durieux, N; Cordonnier, C; Devos, D; Defebvre, L; Moreau, C; Caparros-Lefebvre, D; Leys, D; Maurage, C A; Pasquier, F; Bordet, R

2014-07-01

Accumulation of iron (Fe) is often detected in brains of people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. However, no studies have compared the Fe load between these disease entities. The present study investigates by T2*-weighted gradient-echo 7.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the Fe content in post-mortem brains with different neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases. One hundred and fifty-two post-mortem brains, composed of 46 with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 37 with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), 11 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 13 with Lewy body disease, 14 with progressive supranuclear palsy, 16 with vascular dementia (VaD) and 15 controls without a brain disease, were examined. The Fe load was determined semi-quantitatively on T2*-weighted MRI serial brain sections in the claustrum, caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, thalamus, subthalamic nucleus, hippocampus, mamillary body, lateral geniculate body, red nucleus, substantia nigra and dentate nucleus. The disease diagnosis was made on subsequent neuropathological examination. The Fe load was significantly increased in the claustrum, caudate nucleus and putamen of FTLD brains and to a lesser degree in the globus pallidus, thalamus and subthalamic nucleus. In the other neurodegenerative diseases no Fe accumulation was observed, except for a mild increase in the caudate nucleus of AD brains. In VaD brains no Fe increase was detected. Only FTLD displays a significant Fe load, suggesting that impaired Fe homeostasis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of this heterogeneous disease entity. © 2014 The Author(s) European Journal of Neurology © 2014 EAN.

Postmortem diagnosis and toxicological validation of illicit substance use

PubMed Central

Lehrmann, E; Afanador, ZR; Deep-Soboslay, A; Gallegos, G; Darwin, WD; Lowe, RH; Barnes, AJ; Huestis, MA; Cadet, JL; Herman, MM; Hyde, TM; Kleinman, JE; Freed, WJ

2008-01-01

The present study examines the diagnostic challenges of identifying ante-mortem illicit substance use in human postmortem cases. Substance use, assessed by clinical case history reviews, structured next-of-kin interviews, by general toxicology of blood, urine, and/or brain, and by scalp hair testing, identified 33 cocaine, 29 cannabis, 10 phencyclidine and 9 opioid cases. Case history identified 42% cocaine, 76% cannabis, 10% phencyclidine, and 33% opioid cases. Next-of-kin interviews identified almost twice as many cocaine and cannabis cases as Medical Examiner (ME) case histories, and were crucial in establishing a detailed lifetime substance use history. Toxicology identified 91% cocaine, 68% cannabis, 80% phencyclidine, and 100% opioid cases, with hair testing increasing detection for all drug classes. A cocaine or cannabis use history was corroborated by general toxicology with 50% and 32% sensitivity, respectively, and with 82% and 64% sensitivity by hair testing. Hair testing corroborated a positive general toxicology for cocaine and cannabis with 91% and 100% sensitivity, respectively. Case history corroborated hair toxicology with 38% sensitivity for cocaine and 79% sensitivity for cannabis, suggesting that both case history and general toxicology underestimated cocaine use. Identifying ante-mortem substance use in human postmortem cases are key considerations in case diagnosis and for characterization of disorder-specific changes in neurobiology. The sensitivity and specificity of substance use assessments increased when ME case history was supplemented with structured next-of-kin interviews to establish a detailed lifetime substance use history, while comprehensive toxicology, and hair testing in particular, increased detection of recent illicit substance use. PMID:18201295

Clinical criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease: still good after all these years.

PubMed

Ranginwala, Najeeb A; Hynan, Linda S; Weiner, Myron F; White, Charles L

2008-05-01

To examine the impact of newer neuropathological techniques on the power of National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-AD and Related Disorders Association criteria for Alzheimer disease (AD) to detect AD at later postmortem study. We examined clinical and postmortem diagnoses of persons evaluated postmortem with thioflavin-S staining for plaques and tangles and immunohistochemical staining techniques for alpha synuclein, uhiquitin, and tau protein. Alzheimer Disease Center. Clinically evaluated persons for whom tissue diagnosis was available. Of 313 evaluees, 166 met criteria for probable AD. An additional 59 subjects had clinical diagnoses that included AD, e.g., possible AD, Lewy body variant of AD, AD and Parkinsonism, and mixed AD and vascular dementia. Of the 166 probable AD cases, 147 of 166 (88.6%) met pathologic criteria for AD. When all five AD groups were combined, 194 of 225 subjects (86.2%) met pathologic criteria for AD. There were five cases diagnosed pathologically as tangle-only dementia, which was considered a variant of AD. A pathologic diagnosis of Lewy body variant of AD was made in 56 (17.9%) of cases, including 44 of 313 (14.1%) cases diagnosed as probable or possible AD. Pure dementia with Lewy bodies was seen in 13 (4.2%). There were 9 (2.9%) cases of mixed AD and vascular dementia, and 37 (11.4%) cases of frontotemporal dementia. McKhann et al. criteria for probable and possible AD are valid for AD but do not exclude additional Lewy body pathology.

Post-mortem clinical pharmacology

PubMed Central

Ferner, R E

2008-01-01

Clinical pharmacology assumes that deductions can be made about the concentrations of drugs from a knowledge of the pharmacokinetic parameters in an individual; and that the effects are related to the measured concentration. Post-mortem changes render the assumptions of clinical pharmacology largely invalid, and make the interpretation of concentrations measured in post-mortem samples difficult or impossible. Qualitative tests can show the presence of substances that were not present in life, and can fail to detect substances that led to death. Quantitative analysis is subject to error in itself, and because post-mortem concentrations vary in largely unpredictable ways with the site and time of sampling, as a result of the phenomenon of post-mortem redistribution. Consequently, compilations of ‘lethal concentrations’ are misleading. There is a lack of adequate studies of the true relationship between fatal events and the concentrations that can be measured subsequently, but without such studies, clinical pharmacologists and others should be wary of interpreting post-mortem measurements. PMID:18637886

The difficult task of assessing perimortem and postmortem fractures on the skeleton: a blind text on 210 fractures of known origin.

PubMed

Cappella, Annalisa; Amadasi, Alberto; Castoldi, Elisa; Mazzarelli, Debora; Gaudio, Daniel; Cattaneo, Cristina

2014-11-01

The distinction between perimortem and postmortem fractures is an important challenge for forensic anthropology. Such a crucial task is presently based on macro-morphological criteria widely accepted in the scientific community. However, several limits affect these parameters which have not yet been investigated thoroughly. This study aims at highlighting the pitfalls and errors in evaluating perimortem or postmortem fractures. Two trained forensic anthropologists were asked to classify 210 fractures of known origin in four skeletons (three victims of blunt force trauma and one natural death) as perimortem, postmortem, or dubious, twice in 6 months in order to assess intraobserver error also. Results show large errors, ranging from 14.8 to 37% for perimortem fractures and from 5.5 to 14.8% for postmortem ones; more than 80% of errors concerned trabecular bone. This supports the need for more objective and reliable criteria for a correct assessment of peri- and postmortem bone fractures. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

A Two-Step Process of Nitrous Oxide before Carbon Dioxide for Humanely Euthanizing Piglets: On-Farm Trials

PubMed Central

Smith, Rebecca K.; Lay, Donald C.

2018-01-01

Simple Summary The current approved method of using carbon dioxide (CO2) to euthanize newborn piglets is raising animal welfare concerns on whether the method is truly humane. A new form of euthanasia that is humane, practical, and socially acceptable is needed. Nitrous oxide (N2O), also known as laughing gas, has been shown to induce narcosis in piglets. We used a novel two-step system of exposing compromised piglets for six minutes to N2O followed by carbon dioxide and compared it to using CO2 alone. After exposure to nitrous oxide, all piglets lost posture, a sign of the onset of loss of consciousness, before being exposed to CO2 when they showed behavioral distress. On-farm use of a two-step method reduced the amount of time the piglets were exposed to CO2 but did not reduce the amount of distressful behaviors. Therefore, the results do not support the hypothesis that using N2O in a two-step system is more humane than CO2 alone. Abstract Current methods of euthanizing piglets are raising animal welfare concerns. Our experiment used a novel two-step euthanasia method, using nitrous oxide (N2O) for six minutes and then carbon dioxide (CO2) on compromised 0- to 7-day-old piglets. A commercial euthanasia chamber was modified to deliver two euthanasia treatments: the two-step method using N2O then CO2 (N2O treatment) or only CO2 (CO2 treatment). In Experiment 1, 18 piglets were individually euthanized. In Experiment 2, 18 groups of four to six piglets were euthanized. In the N2O treatment, piglets lost posture, indicating the onset of losing consciousness, before going into CO2 where they showed heavy breathing and open-mouth breathing; whereas piglets in the CO2 treatment did not lose posture until after exhibiting these behaviors (p ≤ 0.004). However, piglets in the N2O treatment took longer to lose posture compared to the CO2 treatment (p < 0.001). Piglets in the N2O treatment displayed more behavioral signs of stress and aversion: squeals/minute (p = 0.004), escape attempts per pig (p = 0.021), and righting responses per pig (p = 0.084) in a group setting. In these regards, it cannot be concluded that euthanizing piglets for 6 min with N2O and then CO2 is more humane than euthanizing with CO2 alone. PMID:29617328

Co-registration of In-Vivo Human MRI Brain Images to Postmortem Histological Microscopic Images

PubMed Central

Singh, M.; Rajagopalan, A.; Kim, T.-S.; Hwang, D.; Chui, H.; Zhang, X.-L.; Lee, A.-Y.; Zarow, C.

2009-01-01

Certain features such as small vascular lesions seen in human MRI are detected reliably only in postmortem histological samples by microscopic imaging. Co-registration of these microscopically detected features to their corresponding locations in the in-vivo images would be of great benefit to understanding the MRI signatures of specific diseases. Using non-linear Polynomial transformation, we report a method to co-register in-vivo MRIs to microscopic images of histological samples drawn off the postmortem brain. The approach utilizes digital photographs of postmortem slices as an intermediate reference to co-register the MRIs to microscopy. The overall procedure is challenging due to gross structural deformations in the postmortem brain during extraction and subsequent distortions in the histological preparations. Hemispheres of the brain were co-registered separately to mitigate these effects. Approaches relying on matching single-slices, multiple-slices and entire volumes in conjunction with different similarity measures suggested that using four slices at a time in combination with two sequential measures, Pearson correlation coefficient followed by mutual information, produced the best MRI-postmortem co-registration according to a voxel mismatch count. The accuracy of the overall registration was evaluated by measuring the 3D Euclidean distance between the locations of microscopically identified lesions on postmortem slices and their MRI-postmortem co-registered locations. The results show a mean 3D displacement of 5.1 ± 2.0 mm between the in-vivo MRI and microscopically determined locations for 21 vascular lesions in 11 subjects. PMID:19169415

Calcific band keratopathy in an alpaca.

PubMed

Pucket, Jonathan D; Boileau, Melanie J; Sula, Mee Ja M

2014-07-01

A 4-year-old female Suri alpaca was presented for evaluation of acute onset weakness, lethargy, and recent development of opacities in both eyes. On ophthalmic examination, bilaterally symmetrical corneal opacities were noted along the interpalpebral fissures with a few corneal blood vessels intermingled. A presumed diagnosis of calcific band keratopathy was made based on location and appearance. The patient was euthanized a short while after diagnosis due to reasons unrelated to the eyes and histologic examination of the corneas revealed subepithelial calcium and vascularization, consistent with calcific band keratopathy. This case report is the first to document this ocular condition in an alpaca. © 2013 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Canine choroidal melanoma with metastases.

PubMed

Hyman, Jennifer A; Koch, Seth A; Wilcock, Brian P

2002-06-01

A 3-year-old-female, spayed Golden Retriever was examined for a unilateral retinal detachment with exophthalmos. Ultrasonographically, a mass was detected with intra- and extraocular extension. The orbit was exenterated and the dog recovered uneventfully. Histopathologic diagnosis was a primary choroidal melanoma with orbital extension, however, the behavioral and cytologic features were benign. Routine examinations postsurgically were nonremarkable. Twenty-one months after surgery the dog was euthanized for respiratory collapse with radiographic signs of metastasis. Necropsy revealed black lesions in the lung and liver. Histopathologic diagnosis was metastatic melanoma with morphology and behavior identical to the primary choroidal melanoma. This is the first definitive case of a canine choroidal melanoma with metastasis.

Free Radicals Mediate Peroxidative Damage in Guinea Pig Hippocampus in vitro

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

Peroxidative Damage in Guinea Pig Hippocampus In Vitro T.C. Pellmar, K.L. Neel, and K.H. Lee Physiology Department. Armed Forces Radiobiology Research...removed from brains of euthanized evaluate the free radical involvement in peroxidative guinea pigs . Electrical stimulation of an orthodromic damage to...Hartley guinea pigs as previously described (Pellmar, 1986, 1987). Animals were anesthetized with halothane and euthanized by cervical dislocation

Costs and benefits of trap-neuter-release and euthanasia for removal of urban cats in Oahu, Hawaii.

PubMed

Lohr, Cheryl A; Cox, Linda J; Lepczyk, Christopher A

2013-02-01

Our goal was to determine whether it is more cost-effective to control feral cat abundance with trap-neuter-release programs or trap and euthanize programs. Using STELLA 7, systems modeling software, we modeled changes over 30 years in abundance of cats in a feral colony in response to each management method and the costs and benefits associated with each method . We included costs associated with providing food, veterinary care, and microchips to the colony cats and the cost of euthanasia, wages, and trapping equipment in the model. Due to a lack of data on predation rates and disease transmission by feral cats the only benefits incorporated into the analyses were reduced predation on Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus). When no additional domestic cats were abandoned by owners and the trap and euthanize program removed 30,000 cats in the first year, the colony was extirpated in at least 75% of model simulations within the second year. It took 30 years for trap-neuter-release to extirpate the colony. When the cat population was supplemented with 10% of the initial population size per year, the colony returned to carrying capacity within 6 years and the trap and euthanize program had to be repeated, whereas trap-neuter-release never reduced the number of cats to near zero within the 30-year time frame of the model. The abandonment of domestic cats reduced the cost effectiveness of both trap-neuter-release and trap and euthanize. Trap-neuter-release was approximately twice as expensive to implement as a trap and euthanize program. Results of sensitivity analyses suggested trap-neuter-release programs that employ volunteers are still less cost-effective than trap and euthanize programs that employ paid professionals and that trap-neuter-release was only effective when the total number of colony cats in an area was below 1000. Reducing the rate of abandonment of domestic cats appears to be a more effective solution for reducing the abundance of feral cats. ©2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

Inherited retinal dysplasia and persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous in Miniature Schnauzer dogs.

PubMed

Grahn, Bruce H; Storey, Eric S; McMillan, Catherine

2004-01-01

The objectives of this study were to define the clinical syndrome of retinal dysplasia and persistent primary vitreous in Miniature Schnauzer dogs and determine the etiology. We examined 106 Miniature Schnauzers using a biomicroscope and indirect ophthalmoscope. The anterior and posterior segments of affected dogs were photographed. Four enucleated eyes were examined using routine light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A pedigree was constructed and related dogs were test-bred to define the mode of inheritance of this syndrome. Congenital retinal dysplasia was confirmed in 24 of 106 related Miniature Schnauzer dogs. Physical and postmortem examinations revealed that congenital abnormalities were limited to the eyes. Biomicroscopic, indirect ophthalmoscopic, and neuro-ophthalmic examinations confirmed that some of these dogs were blind secondary to bilateral retinal dysplasia and detachment (nonattachment) (n = 13), and the remainder had generalized retinal dysplasia (n = 11). Fifteen of these dogs were also diagnosed with unilateral (n = 9) or bilateral (n = 6) persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous. Nutritional, infectious, or toxic etiologies were not evident on physical, postmortem, light microscopic, or transmitting and scanning electron microscopic examination of four affected Miniature Schnauzers. We examined the pedigree and determined that an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance was most likely. Three test-bred litters including those from affected parents, carrier and affected parents, and carrier parents confirmed this mode of inheritance. This study confirms that retinal dysplasia and persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous is a congenital abnormality that is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition in Miniature Schnauzers.

Fatal extraintestinal toxoplasmosis in a young male cat with enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes

PubMed Central

Cohen, Tamara M.; Blois, Shauna; Vince, Andrew R.

2016-01-01

A 22-month-old indoor/outdoor neutered male domestic short-haired cat had a history of progressive lethargy, vomiting, and decreased appetite. Abdominal ultrasound revealed an irregular hyperechoic mass in the mid-abdomen. He was unresponsive to symptomatic medical management and was euthanized after 3 days of hospitalization. A diagnosis of disseminated extraintestinal toxoplasmosis was made based on the finding of intracytoplasmic protozoan parasites on histopathological examination of mesenteric lymph nodes, hepatic and intestinal samples, and on immunohistochemistry. PMID:27152033

Fatal extraintestinal toxoplasmosis in a young male cat with enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes.

PubMed

Cohen, Tamara M; Blois, Shauna; Vince, Andrew R

2016-05-01

A 22-month-old indoor/outdoor neutered male domestic short-haired cat had a history of progressive lethargy, vomiting, and decreased appetite. Abdominal ultrasound revealed an irregular hyperechoic mass in the mid-abdomen. He was unresponsive to symptomatic medical management and was euthanized after 3 days of hospitalization. A diagnosis of disseminated extraintestinal toxoplasmosis was made based on the finding of intracytoplasmic protozoan parasites on histopathological examination of mesenteric lymph nodes, hepatic and intestinal samples, and on immunohistochemistry.

[Post-mortem microbiology analysis].

PubMed

Fernández-Rodríguez, Amparo; Alberola, Juan; Cohen, Marta Cecilia

2013-12-01

Post-mortem microbiology is useful in both clinical and forensic autopsies, and allows a suspected infection to be confirmed. Indeed, it is routinely applied to donor studies in the clinical setting, as well as in sudden and unexpected death in the forensic field. Implementation of specific sampling techniques in autopsy can minimize the possibility of contamination, making interpretation of the results easier. Specific interpretation criteria for post-mortem cultures, the use of molecular diagnosis, and its fusion with molecular biology and histopathology have led to post-mortem microbiology playing a major role in autopsy. Multidisciplinary work involving microbiologists, pathologists, and forensic physicians will help to improve the achievements of post-mortem microbiology, prevent infectious diseases, and contribute to a healthier population. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The Relationship Between the Changes in Local Stiffness of Chicken Myofibril and the Tenderness of Muscle During Postmortem Aging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwasaki, T.; Hasegawa, Y.; Yamamoto, K.; Nakamura, K.

We have investigated that the relationship between the stiffness of myofibrils and the tenderness of muscle during postmortem aging. The stiffness (elasticity) of A and I bands as well as Z-line of chicken myofibrils during postmortem aging were measured by atomic force microscope. The stiffness of all regions increased till 12 hr of postmortem, then it decreased to 96 hr. This tendency was the same as the changes of shear force value of whole muscle during postmortem aging. The elasticity of the Z-line of chicken myofibrils treated with calcium ions in the presence of protease inhibitor decreased with treating time. This indicates that the nonenzymatic structural changes of myofibrils is one of the causes of meat tenderization.

Metastatic anal sac adenocarcinoma in a dog presenting for acute paralysis

PubMed Central

2004-01-01

Abstract A 4-year old, female spayed terrier was referred for hind end paresis that rapidly progressed to paralysis. Spinal radiographs revealed vertebral collapse and bony lysis. Myelography confirmed spinal cord compression and surgical exploration found an extradural soft tissue mass. Metastatic anal sac adenocarcinoma was diagnosed at postmortem examination. PMID:15368742

Metastatic anal sac adenocarcinoma in a dog presenting for acute paralysis.

PubMed

Brisson, Brigitte A; Whiteside, Douglas P; Holmberg, David L

2004-08-01

A 4-year old, female spayed terrier was referred for hind end paresis that rapidly progressed to paralysis. Spinal radiographs revealed vertebral collapse and bony lysis. Myelography confirmed spinal cord compression and surgical exploration found an extradural soft tissue mass. Metastatic anal sac adenocarcinoma was diagnosed at postmortem examination.

The Brain Connection: The Corpus Callosum is Larger in Left-Handers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witelson, Sandra F.

1985-01-01

Discusses the neurobiological basis for functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres, indicating that the size of the corpus callosum is correlated with the neurophysiological measure of hand preference. In postmortem examinations of 42 subjects there were no sex differences, but mixed-handers had significantly larger total areas of the…

Study of endolaryngeal structures by videolaryngoscopy after hanging: a new approach to understanding the physiopathogenesis.

PubMed

Duband, S; Timoshenko, A P; Mohammedi, R; Prades, J-M; Barral, F-G; Debout, M; Péoc'h, M

2009-11-20

To evaluate laryngoscopic findings in hanging cases and to compare them with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and forensic autopsy results. Postmortem nasolaryngofibroscopy and MRI of five people who died from hanging were performed. Three people who died from other causes than hanging were also examined with a flexible laryngofibroscope. The results were compared with injuries discovered during forensic autopsy. In all five hanging cases, laryngofibroscopic investigation showed a vocal fold position in complete adduction confirmed by MRI. This position did not seem to be influenced by the intensity of the forces applied to neck or postmortem delay and cadaveric phenomena. The vocal cords of the three non-hanging deceased were found in the intermediate position. These findings could suggest that pressure applied to the cervical nervous and cartilaginous structures or their elongation during hanging could lead to closure of the glottis with vocal cord adduction maintained after death. Laryngofibroscopic examination in hanging cases could be very useful in confirming the vital character of the hanging and understanding asphyxial phenomena in incomplete suspension without laryngeal crush.

Veterinary Forensics: Firearms and Investigation of Projectile Injury.

PubMed

Bradley-Siemens, N; Brower, A I

2016-09-01

Projectile injury represents an estimated 14% of reported animal cruelty cases in the United States. Cases involving projectiles are complicated by gross similarities to other common types of injury, including bite wounds and motor vehicle injuries, by weapons and ammunition not commonly recognized or understood by veterinary medical professionals, and by required expertise beyond that employed in routine postmortem examination. This review describes the common types of projectile injuries encountered within the United States, as well as firearms and ammunition associated with this form of injury. The 3 stages of ballistics-internal, external, and terminal-and wounding capacity are discussed. A general understanding of firearms, ammunition, and ballistics is necessary before pursuing forensic projectile cases. The forensic necropsy is described, including gunshot wound examination, projectile trajectories, different imaging procedures, collection and storage of projectile evidence, and potential advanced techniques for gunpowder analysis. This review presents aspects of projectile injury investigation that must be considered in tandem with standard postmortem practices and procedures to ensure reliable conclusions are reached for medicolegal as well as diagnostic purposes. © The Author(s) 2016.

Non-vehicular homicides masquerading as road traffic accidents.

PubMed

Zine, K U; Mugadlimath, Anand B; Sane, Mandar Ramchandra; Bhuyyar, Chandrashekhar; Rathod, S N

2016-03-01

Interfering with or planting evidence to disguise the cause of a death is not uncommon in forensic practice. Homicides staged as road accidents are, however, rarely encountered by crime scene investigators. We report two homicides which were presented as road traffic accidents. Case 1: Dead body of a 35-year-old male was brought for autopsy with history of road traffic accident. Primary police inquiry suggested that the victim was knocked down by a speeding four-wheeler, while walking by the side of a high way with his friends. On postmortem examination the deceased's death was found due to homicidal smothering staged as a road traffic accident. Case 2: Dead body of 40-year-old male was brought for autopsy with history of road traffic accident. It was an unwitnessed crush by a speeding four-wheeler. However, on postmortem examination, the deceased was found to have died from homicidal multiple stab wounds with his death staged as a road traffic accident. Importance of meticulous autopsy to determine accurately the cause of death is emphasized. © The Author(s) 2015.

Retrospective investigation of chronic wasting disease of cervids at the Toronto Zoo, 1973–2003

PubMed Central

Dubé, Caroline; Mehren, Kay G.; Barker, Ian K.; Peart, Brian L.; Balachandran, Aru

2006-01-01

The occurrence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) at the Toronto Zoo was investigated retrospectively, based on an examination of management, animal health, and postmortem records, and immunohistochemical studies. Records of animal movements, clinical signs, and postmortem findings were examined for all cervids 1973–2003. All available samples of fixed, wax-embedded lymphoid or central nervous system tissue from cervids that died at the Toronto Zoo from 1973 to 2003, > 12 months of age, were tested, using prion protein immunostaining. Chronic wasting disease prion antigen was detected in 8 of 105 animals tested: 7 mule deer and 1 black-tailed deer. The most likely method of introduction was the importation of CWD-infected animals from a zoo in the United States. Animal-to-animal contact and environmental contamination were the most likely methods of spread of CWD at the zoo. No mule deer left the Toronto Zoo site, and the last animal with CWD died in 1981. Historic findings and ongoing testing of cervids indicate that the Toronto Zoo collection has very low risk of currently being infected with CWD. PMID:17217088

Neoplasia in Three Aye-Ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis).

PubMed

Rodriguez Barbon, A; Cowen, R; Knott, C; Hughes, K; Allinson, K; Williams, C V; Routh, A

2018-02-01

Tumours diagnosed in three aged captive aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis), held in two different institutions, are described. A cerebral glioblastoma was diagnosed based on histological and immunohistochemical findings in one of the animals following initial presentation with bilateral mydriasis, absent pupillary reflex, head tilt and ataxia. A second animal was humanely destroyed due to impaired locomotion associated with spondylosis and a post-mortem diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma was made based on histology with further confirmation with immunohistochemical labelling for cytokeratin 7. A third aye-aye suffering from dental disease was diagnosed with an oral squamous cell carcinoma following an excisional biopsy from a non-healing wound in the lip. Due to progression of the neoplasia the animal was humanely destroyed and post-mortem examination revealed the presence on an additional unilateral phaeochromocytoma. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optical clearing of the dura mater using glycerol: a reversible process to aid the post-mortem investigation of infant head injury.

PubMed

Cheshire, Emma C; Malcomson, Roger D G; Joseph, Shiju; Biggs, Mike J B; Adlam, David; Rutty, Guy N

2015-09-01

In cases of suspected abusive head trauma, a thorough and systematic study of the cranium and its contents is essential, preferably using the best available methods for observing the brain and its coverings. Building upon recent developments in skull bone removal techniques in infant autopsies, we have assessed the use of two optical clearing agents (OCAs), glycerol and mannitol, on pediatric dura mater in an attempt to increase the transparency of this tissue and thereby enhance the post-mortem assessment of infant head injuries, particularly subdural hematomas. Extracorporeal testing revealed glycerol to be the more effective OCA. Therefore, in situ investigations were commenced using glycerol during 33 pediatric post-mortem examinations. An increase in the transparency of the dura was observed in 32 of the 33 cases, within 1 min of application of the OCA. In a 2 year old with cerebral palsy, only partial optical clearance of the dura was seen, most likely due to a significantly atrophic brain, prominent gelatinous leptomeninges, and abnormally thickened dura. This technique allowed for detection of minimal amounts of subdural bleeding over the convexities, before dissection of the dura, avoiding post-mortem blood spillage from artifactually disrupted bridging veins. Optical clearing of the dura aided in the evaluation of patterns of subdural hemorrhage in three cases of non-accidental head injury, three cases of peri-natal head injury and one case of overlaying, apparently resulting in minor crush injury to the head. We have demonstrated that glycerol is an effective and easy-to-use OCA to effect the readily reversible optical clearing of human infant calvarial dura at autopsy.

End-of-Life Education and Discussions With Assisted Living Certified Nursing Assistants.

PubMed

Mohlman, Wendy L; Dassel, Kara; Supiano, Katherine P; Caserta, Michael

2018-06-01

In previous work, the current researchers examined attitudes and experiences of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) providing end-of-life (EOL) care in an assisted living facility (ALF). Results showed that 70% of participating CNAs felt unprepared to provide EOL care, largely due to not having received prior EOL care education within their schools or workplaces. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to implement and evaluate EOL and postmortem education to ALF CNAs. A focus group of 14 CNAs within an ALF was provided EOL education pertaining to the physiological and psychological changes observed in patients nearing EOL and postmortem care. Immediately following training, CNAs participated in a 30-minute focus group in which they discussed their experiences and educational needs regarding EOL care. Responses were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for common themes using descriptive qualitative inquiry. All participants reported that CNA programs need to place greater emphasis on teaching EOL care, and 80% desired continuing education on EOL care through their employers. There is a need for CNAs to receive EOL care education to understand the psychological and physical signs and symptoms associated with the dying process to provide best practices in postmortem care. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(6), 41-48.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

Translational Research in Pediatrics IV: Solid Tissue Collection and Processing.

PubMed

Gillio-Meina, Carolina; Zielke, H Ronald; Fraser, Douglas D

2016-01-01

Solid tissues are critical for child-health research. Specimens are commonly obtained at the time of biopsy/surgery or postmortem. Research tissues can also be obtained at the time of organ retrieval for donation or from tissue that would otherwise have been discarded. Navigating the ethics of solid tissue collection from children is challenging, and optimal handling practices are imperative to maximize tissue quality. Fresh biopsy/surgical specimens can be affected by a variety of factors, including age, gender, BMI, relative humidity, freeze/thaw steps, and tissue fixation solutions. Postmortem tissues are also vulnerable to agonal factors, body storage temperature, and postmortem intervals. Nonoptimal tissue handling practices result in nucleotide degradation, decreased protein stability, artificial posttranslational protein modifications, and altered lipid concentrations. Tissue pH and tryptophan levels are 2 methods to judge the quality of solid tissue collected for research purposes; however, the RNA integrity number, together with analyses of housekeeping genes, is the new standard. A comprehensive clinical data set accompanying all tissue samples is imperative. In this review, we examined: the ethical standards relating to solid tissue procurement from children; potential sources of solid tissues; optimal practices for solid tissue processing, handling, and storage; and reliable markers of solid tissue quality. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Residence times of reef-island sediments constrained by post-mortem precipitates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, Thomas; Wizemann, André; Kench, Paul; Jompa, Jamaluddin; Westphal, Hildegard

2017-04-01

The precipitation of carbonate cements is a rapid process in tropical marine environments. Distinct from calcification, the onset of cementation coincides with the termination of 14C uptake within carbonate-sediment forming organisms. Here we show that this relationship presents new opportunities for examining the temporal lag between organism death and deposition in carbonate systems - the prerequisite for reliable depositional chronologies. We dated skeletal constituents collected from discretely stratified reef-island deposits in Indonesia. In each of the strata, internally least cemented segments of the calcifying green alga Halimeda yield the youngest ages. Complementary mesocosm experiments on cementation rates reveal that post-mortem cement growth initiates within months after transport commences. Continuous pore-filling cementation promptly stabilizes the initially fragile Halimeda skeleton. Furthermore, abrasion experiments show that such cementation significantly increases the durability of segments during transport. Implications of these findings are profound in two respects; first, evaluating residence times of skeletal carbonate constituents based on abrasion features is far from being adequate. Second, the absence of cements within sedimentary Halimeda segments signals that post-mortem transport through the intertidal zone occurred quasi-instantaneously. Radiometric ages from such specimens should minimize the temporal lag between organism death and deposition thus making them reliable indicators of sedimentation in supratidal environments.

Maintaining high autopsy rates in a Canadian blood and marrow transplant program: preserving a diagnostic and research tool.

PubMed

Allan, D S; Bélanger, R; Busque, L; Cohen, S; Fish, D; Roy, D C; Roy, J

2005-04-01

Autopsy series have revealed patterns of injury in graft-versus-host disease and provided insight into infectious and toxic complications following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Overall autopsy rates have declined significantly in recent decades including specialized services such as neonatal medicine and cardiac care. However, rates of post-mortem exams at HSCT centers have not been specifically documented. We reviewed hospital records between 1992 and 2002 to determine overall autopsy rates at our hospital and within the HSCT program. Although the overall autopsy rate declined steadily from 24% in 1992 to 9% in 2002, rates of post-mortem exams in the HSCT program remained relatively stable at 32% (24-46%). Autopsy rates were not significantly different for recipients of allogeneic vs autologous transplants and no clear difference was observed for the proportion of autopsies requested on weekdays compared with weekends. Autopsies confirmed major clinical diagnoses and/or suspected causes of death in 45 of 61 autopsies (74%) and yielded major or minor disagreements in clinical diagnosis in 10 cases (16%) and seven cases (11%), respectively. The preservation of high rates of autopsy within our HSCT program demonstrates that specialized programs are able to maintain elevated rates of post-mortem examinations despite overall declining rates.

Postmortem ventilation in cases of penetrating gunshot and stab wounds to the chest.

PubMed

Germerott, Tanja; Preiss, Ulrich S; Ross, Steffen G; Thali, Michael J; Flach, Patricia M

2013-11-01

We sought to determine the effect of postmortem ventilation in combination with a suction pump in cases showing penetrating trauma to the chest with haemo- and/or pneumothorax, for better evaluation of the lungs in postmortem computed tomography (PMCT). The study included 6 subjects (1 female, 5 male; age 32-67years) with a penetrating gunshot or stab wound to the chest and consecutive pneumo- and/or haemothorax. The pneumo- and haemothorax were evacuated by a suction pump, and postmortem ventilation was applied using a home care ventilator. PMCT images with and without postmortem ventilation were compared, as well as the autopsy results. In three cases haemo- and pneumothorax was clearly reduced. Postmortem ventilation led to distinct re-expansion of the lungs in two cases, and to re-expansion of single lung lobes in two cases with shotgun injuries. No visible effect was seen in the remaining two cases, because of extensive destruction of lung tissue and blood aspiration. In two cases the injuries sustained in the individual lung lobes were successfully located during postmortem ventilation. The bullet channel was apparent in one case; in another case, injury of the pericardium became visible by generating pneumopericardium. The present method is capable of improving evaluation of the postmortem lung in the presence of single stab or gunshot wounds and if there is no severe destruction of the respiratory system and aspiration. Forensic autopsy should still be considered as the gold standard, although in some cases the present method might be helpful, especially where no autopsy is required. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genomic regions underlying susceptibility to bovine tuberculosis in Holstein-Friesian cattle.

PubMed

Raphaka, Kethusegile; Matika, Oswald; Sánchez-Molano, Enrique; Mrode, Raphael; Coffey, Mike Peter; Riggio, Valentina; Glass, Elizabeth Janet; Woolliams, John Arthur; Bishop, Stephen Christopher; Banos, Georgios

2017-03-23

The significant social and economic loss as a result of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) presents a continuous challenge to cattle industries in the UK and worldwide. However, host genetic variation in cattle susceptibility to bTB provides an opportunity to select for resistant animals and further understand the genetic mechanisms underlying disease dynamics. The present study identified genomic regions associated with susceptibility to bTB using genome-wide association (GWA), regional heritability mapping (RHM) and chromosome association approaches. Phenotypes comprised de-regressed estimated breeding values of 804 Holstein-Friesian sires and pertained to three bTB indicator traits: i) positive reactors to the skin test with positive post-mortem examination results (phenotype 1); ii) positive reactors to the skin test regardless of post-mortem examination results (phenotype 2) and iii) as in (ii) plus non-reactors and inconclusive reactors to the skin tests with positive post-mortem examination results (phenotype 3). Genotypes based on the 50 K SNP DNA array were available and a total of 34,874 SNPs remained per animal after quality control. The estimated polygenic heritability for susceptibility to bTB was 0.26, 0.37 and 0.34 for phenotypes 1, 2 and 3, respectively. GWA analysis identified a putative SNP on Bos taurus autosomes (BTA) 2 associated with phenotype 1, and another on BTA 23 associated with phenotype 2. Genomic regions encompassing these SNPs were found to harbour potentially relevant annotated genes. RHM confirmed the effect of these genomic regions and identified new regions on BTA 18 for phenotype 1 and BTA 3 for phenotypes 2 and 3. Heritabilities of the genomic regions ranged between 0.05 and 0.08 across the three phenotypes. Chromosome association analysis indicated a major role of BTA 23 on susceptibility to bTB. Genomic regions and candidate genes identified in the present study provide an opportunity to further understand pathways critical to cattle susceptibility to bTB and enhance genetic improvement programmes aiming at controlling and eradicating the disease.

Qualitative Identification of Fentanyl Analogs and Other Opioids in Postmortem Cases by UHPLC-Ion Trap-MSn.

PubMed

Shoff, Elisa N; Zaney, M Elizabeth; Kahl, Joseph H; Hime, George W; Boland, Diane M

2017-07-01

Since 2013, the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department has experienced an increase in the number of opioid-related deaths. The majority of cases coincided with the introduction of fentanyl into the local heroin supply. From 2014 to 2015, Miami-Dade County experienced a near 600% increase in fentanyl-related deaths, followed by an additional 200% increase in 2016. In 2015, two novel fentanyl analogs were identified in medical examiner cases: beta-hydroxythiofentanyl and acetyl fentanyl. In 2016, four additional fentanyl analogs emerged: para-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, butyryl fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl and carfentanil, as well as the synthetic opioid U-47700. In order to address this epidemic, a method was developed and validated to identify 44 opioid-related and analgesic compounds in postmortem samples using ultra high performance liquid chromatography ion trap mass spectrometry with MSn capabilities. The limit of detection for all compounds ranged from 0.1 to 5 ng/mL, with a majority having MS3 spectral fragmentation. Blood, urine, liver or brain specimens from ~500 postmortem cases were submitted for analysis based on case history and/or initial screening results. Of those cases, 375 were positive for illicit fentanyl and/or one or more fentanyl analogs. Due to the potency of these compounds, they were almost always included in the cause of death. Worth emphasizing and extremely alarming is the detection of carfentanil in 134 cases, 104 of which were initially missed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. By incorporating this sensitive, highly specific, and evolving screening procedure into the workflow, the toxicology laboratory continues to effectively assist the medical examiners in determining the cause and manner of death of decedents in Miami-Dade County. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Variations in clinical presentation and anatomical distribution of gross lesions of African swine fever in domestic pigs in the southern highlands of Tanzania: a field experience.

PubMed

Kipanyula, Maulilio John; Nong'ona, Solomon Wilson

2017-02-01

African swine fever is a contagious viral disease responsible for up to 100% mortality among domestic pigs. A longitudinal study was carried out to determine the clinical presentation and anatomical distribution of gross lesions in affected pigs in Mbeya region, Tanzania during the 2010 to 2014 outbreaks. Data were collected during clinical and postmortem examination by field veterinarians and using a structured questionnaire. A total of 118 respondents (100%) showed awareness about African swine fever. During previous outbreaks, the mortality rate was almost 100%, while in 2014 it was estimated to be less than 50%.The clinical picture of the 2010-2012 outbreaks was characterized by high fever, depression, inappetance, mucosal congestion, hemorrhages, erythematous lesions in different body parts, and abortion. Several internal organs including the kidneys, spleen, and liver were congested and edematous. During the 2014 outbreak, a number of pigs (49.7%) were asymptomatic when brought to slaughter slabs but were found to have African swine fever gross lesions at postmortem examination as compared to 12.3% in 2010-2012. Bluish discoloration, which is normally distributed on the non-hairy parts of the body, was not apparent in some pigs except at postmortem examination. Some pigs (36.1%) presented nasal and/or oral bloody discharges which were uncommon (9.1%) during previous outbreaks. Moreover, other gross features included enlarged dark red renal lymph nodes and spleen. Clinical signs such as anorexia, diarrhea, and pyrexia were mainly observed when affected pigs reached moribund stage. The majority of pregnant sows died without presenting abortions. In some litters, suckling piglets (3-6 weeks) survived from the disease. These findings indicated that in 2014, African swine fever outbreak in Mbeya region was characterized by a different clinical picture.

Survival of angled saugers in the lower Tennessee River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kitterman, Christy L.; Bettoli, Phillip William

2011-01-01

An intense winter fishery for sauger Sander canadensis exists in the lower Tennessee River, and the objective of this study was to estimate the survival of angled saugers. In February 2008 and January–March 2009, 81 angled saugers (72 live plus 9 euthanized) were affixed with ultrasonic tags. The movements (or lack thereof) by saugers released alive were compared with those of euthanized fish to assess survival. Sixty-eight percent of the tagged saugers that were released alive exhibited maximum daily movements exceeding the greatest movement of any euthanized fish (0.5 km/d), and those fish were subsequently classified as survivors. The upstream movements of several euthanized fish indicated that their carcasses were ingested by piscivorous scavengers. In logistic models, the probability of mortality was significantly and inversely related to total length but not to capture depth, water temperature, handling time, or ascent rate. In 2 × 2 contingency tables, the fate of released saugers was not found to be associated with either the presence or absence of bleeding from the hooking wound or whether or not the fish displayed gastric distension. Most released fish survived despite the fact that gastric distension was observed in 72% of the angled saugers.

Effect of postmortem aging on marination performance of broiler breast pectoralis major categorized by color lightness

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective was to evaluate the effect of postmortem aging on marinade uptake and retention by early-deboned chicken breast fillets with different color lightness. Effects of marination on product yield and muscle shear force were also determined. Early deboned (2 h postmortem) broiler butterflies...

9 CFR 355.41 - Antemortem and postmortem inspection for mules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Animal Food, Mule Meat By-Product § 355.41 Antemortem and postmortem inspection for mules. (a)(1) An... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Antemortem and postmortem inspection for mules. 355.41 Section 355.41 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE...

Estimation of postmortem interval through albumin in CSF by simple dye binding method.

PubMed

Parmar, Ankita K; Menon, Shobhana K

2015-12-01

Estimation of postmortem interval is a very important question in some medicolegal investigations. For the precise estimation of postmortem interval, there is a need of a method which can give accurate estimation. Bromocresol green (BCG) is a simple dye binding method and widely used in routine practice. Application of this method in forensic practice may bring revolutionary changes. In this study, cerebrospinal fluid was aspirated from cisternal puncture from 100 autopsies. A study was carried out on concentration of albumin with respect to postmortem interval. After death, albumin present in CSF undergoes changes, after 72 h of death, concentration of albumin has become 0.012 mM, and this decrease was linear from 2 h to 72 h. An important relationship was found between albumin concentration and postmortem interval with an error of ± 1-4h. The study concludes that CSF albumin can be a useful and significant parameter in estimation of postmortem interval. Copyright © 2015 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sarcomere length influences postmortem proteolysis of excised bovine semitendinosus muscle.

PubMed

Weaver, A D; Bowker, B C; Gerrard, D E

2008-08-01

The interaction between sarcomere length and postmortem proteolysis as related to meat tenderness is not clear. The extent of thick and thin filament overlap alters actomyosin binding and may alter substrate availability during aging-induced tenderization. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of sarcomere length on proteolytic degradation in beef. Strips from bovine semitendinosus were either stretched 40% and restrained or allowed to shorten unrestrained in an ice bath. After rigor completion, 0.6-cm cross sections were fabricated and were randomly assigned to 2, 4, 7, or 10 d of aging treatments. Myofibrils were isolated for sarcomere length determination. Samples were collected and frozen for shear force analysis, and muscle proteins were extracted for SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analyses to determine troponin T (TnT) proteolysis. Sarcomere length was greater (P < 0.01) in stretched muscle samples compared with shortened samples (2.57 vs. 1.43 microm, respectively). Correspondingly, shear force values were greater (P < 0.05) in shortened samples than stretched samples. Western blots revealed the presence of 3 major intact TnT bands that diminished with time postmortem and 4 bands (TnT degradation products) that accumulated during postmortem storage. Quantification of intact TnT showed increased (P < 0.05) proteolysis at 4 and 7 d postmortem in samples with long sarcomeres. By 10 d, only traces of the greatest molecular weight intact TnT band were evident in both shortened and stretched samples, suggesting this TnT band may be more susceptible to proteolysis than other intact TnT bands. Degradation products of TnT appeared earlier postmortem in samples with long sarcomeres. The 30-kDa TnT fragment appeared after 7 d of postmortem storage in samples with long sarcomeres but not until 10 d in muscle containing short sarcomeres. Collectively, these data show that postmortem TnT proteolysis is sarcomere length-dependent and suggest that thick and thin filament overlap may influence the postmortem aging process in beef.

The fate of homograft tracheal transplants in sheep.

PubMed

Behrend, Matthias; Kluge, Eva

2008-08-01

An established method of tracheal substitution is not yet available, but homograft tracheal transplantation might provide a realistic tracheal replacement. With the objective of sequentially examining the healing of tracheal homografts, we have established a suitable large-animal model. Five sheep received orthotopic tracheal transplantation of a 4-cm cervical tracheal homograft. The trachea was supported for 6 weeks with a self-expanding polyester stent. The plan was to euthanize the animals after 2, 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks, or whenever complications occurred. The implantation itself was performed without complications. After 2 weeks the homograft was firmly encapsulated by connective tissue, without signs of necrosis or abscess. The original mucous membrane no longer existed; the cartilage rings were exposed. In all animals that were euthanized at the later dates, the homografts were completely absorbed and replaced by inflammatory scar tissue. This, in turn, was covered with a shiny cellular surface layer. The results from this animal experiment reveal-contrary to data published to date-that tracheal homografts are not incorporated but absorbed. They are replaced by scar/granulation tissue that cannot secure the stability of the trachea. Therefore, further experiments with respect to the biocompatability of homografts appear to be necessary.

Causes and manners of death among users of heroin, methadone, amphetamine, and cannabis in relation to postmortem chemical tests for illegal drugs.

PubMed

Eksborg, Staffan; Rajs, Jovan

2008-01-01

A 12-year medicolegal investigation of deceased illegal drug users (ILDU) in Stockholm, Sweden, classified on the basis of postmortem chemical tests, showed noticeable variations in causes and manners of death as well as in the distribution of suicide methods. This study offers objective information about connection between the postmortem findings of illegal drugs and the causes and manners of death of their users. However, further studies, comparing prevalence of drug use in general population and at the postmortem tests, are needed for more detailed elucidation of this connection.

Assessment of cardiovascular disease in the donkey: clinical, echocardiographic and pathological observations.

PubMed

Roberts, S L; Dukes-McEwan, J

2016-10-15

The Donkey Sanctuary (DS) owns 3500-4000 donkeys, estimated to be about 35 per cent of the UK population. Although postmortem surveys suggest a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in donkeys, there is sparse clinical information about cardiovascular examination findings and echocardiographic findings in health and disease. In this cross-sectional study, auscultation findings were recorded, and in a subset of donkeys, echocardiography was used to screen for structural and functional cardiac disease. 202 donkeys were examined; 117 geldings and 85 females. Heart sounds S1 and S2 were detected in all donkeys, but none had audible S3. S4 was detected in nine (4.5 per cent; significantly older than those without S4; P<0.001). A heart murmur was detected in four donkeys. Echocardiography identified these to be due to a ventricular septal defect in one, and aortic regurgitation in three. An additional 43 donkeys had echocardiography. A further 10 donkeys were identified to have aortic insufficiency, but no other valvular regurgitation. 76/202 donkeys subsequently underwent postmortem examination. Three showed degenerative aortic valve changes. One donkey had nodular lesions in the intima of proximal aorta and sinus of Valsalva. Histopathology showed multifocal chronic nodular eosinophilic arteritis, consistent with verminous arteritis. The DS pathology database identified other similar cases. British Veterinary Association.

RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF THE PREVALENCE OF MYELOLIPOMA IN GOELDI'S MONKEYS (CALLIMICO GOELDII).

PubMed

Kleinschmidt, Laura M; Langan, Jennifer N; Warneke, Mark R; Kinsel, Michael J; Allender, Matthew C

2015-06-01

Myelolipomas are mesenchymal tumors composed of adipose and hematopoietic tissue. They have been reported in many species, including domestic dogs and cats, birds, mustelids, wild felids, and nonhuman primates. Myelolipomas in Callitrichidae have been reported at postmortem examination and rarely antemortem. Multiple cases of hepatic myelolipomas associated with morbidity in Chicago Zoological Society's collection of Goeldi's monkeys (Callimico goeldii) prompted a global retrospective study to determine the prevalence and investigate factors associated with this condition. A total of 842 postmortem examination reports (1965-2013) collected from 133 captive collections were reviewed. Myelolipomas were reported in 17.2% (n=145) of animals, with significantly more female cases than male (P=0.023). There was a significantly older mean age at death in affected animals (134 months) compared to unaffected animals (79 months) (P<0.0001). Myelolipomas were diagnosed in the liver in all affected animals, and rarely in the adrenal or spleen. One in five (22.1%) affected Callimico had notable morbidity associated with this disease, which is markedly different from the primarily benign reports in other species. To identify disease, prevent morbidity from hepatic myelolipoma, and improve care of Callimico species in zoological collections, new Species Survival Plan (SSP) medical management recommendations include incorporating abdominal ultrasonographic examination during routine physical examinations in addition to previously recommended hematological and serum biochemical evaluations. Future studies are merited to examine the prevalence, risk factors, health effects, and treatment options of myelolipoma in living collections.

The medico-legal scene in Dubai: 2002-2007.

PubMed

Benomran, Fawzi A

2009-08-01

Various characteristics of the medico-legal scene in Dubai are described, along with an overview of all cases examined over a period of 6 years. During the period of study, a total of 17,683 cases were examined in the Department of Forensic Medicine of Dubai Police General Headquarters. This constituted a yearly average of (2947.16). The average annual increment was 11.13%, the percentage of increase between 2002 and 2007 being 68.96%. Of these 10,165 (57.48%) were clinical cases of injuries, 5404 (30.56%) postmortem examinations, 1525 (8.62%) clinical cases of sexual crimes, 409 (2.3%) age estimations, 58 (0.32%) medical responsibility, 20 (0.11%) criminal abortion, 61 (0.34%) civil actions and 38 (0.21%) miscellaneous cases. Of postmortem examinations, 4846 (89.7%) of them were males and 558 (10.3%) females. The age ranged from (0-90) years, with a mean age of 40.5 years. The peak incidence was in the age group (20-50) years, where the extremes of age were least represented (Fig. 1). Only in 361 cases (6.68% of the grand total) the deceased was a local citizen. Autopsies amounted to 394 cases, which constituted 7.29% of the total deaths examined. The four manners of death in descending order of frequency were natural 3003 (55.57%), accidental 1727 (32%), suicidal 498 (9.2%), homicidal 164 (3%). The manner was undetermined in 12 (0.22%) of the cases over the 6 year period.

Risk Factors for Fatal Hyperglycaemia Confirmed by Forensic Postmortem Examination - A Nationwide Cohort in Sweden.

PubMed

Walz, Lotta; Jönsson, Anna K; Zilg, Brita; Östgren, Carl Johan; Druid, Henrik

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with confirmed fatal hyperglycaemia, which could predispose potentially preventable deaths in individuals on glucose lowering drugs. A retrospective register-based case-control study conducted on a nationwide cohort with individuals who died due to hyperglycaemia as determined by forensic postmortem examination, in Sweden August 2006 to December 2012. Vitreous glucose was used to diagnose hyperglycaemia postmortem. The forensic findings stored in the National Forensic Medicine Database were linked to nationwide registers. Cases that died due to confirmed hyperglycemia with dispensed glucose lowering drugs were identified and living controls with dispensed glucose lowering drugs were randomly selected in the Swedish prescribed drug register and matched on age and sex. Information on comorbidities, dispensed pharmaceuticals, clinical data and socioeconomic factors were obtained for cases and controls. Adjusted multiple logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors associated with fatal hyperglycaemia. During the study period 322 individuals, mostly males (79%) with the mean age of 53.9 years (SD.± 14) died due to confirmed hyperglycaemia. Risk factors for fatal hyperglycaemia included; insulin treatment (OR = 4.40; 95%CI,1.96, 9.85), poor glycaemic control (OR = 2.00 95%CI,1.23, 3.27), inadequate refill-adherence before death (OR = 3.87; 95%CI,1.99, 7.53), microvascular disease (OR = 3.26; 95% CI, 1.84, 5.79), psychiatric illness (OR = 2.30; 95% CI,1.32, 4.01), substance abuse (OR = 8.85; 95%CI,2.34, 35.0) and/or living alone (OR = 2.25; 95%CI,1.21, 4.18). Our results demonstrate the importance of clinical attention to poor glycaemic control in subjects with psychosocial problems since it may indicate serious non-adherence, which consequently could lead to fatal hyperglycaemia.

Putative presynaptic dopamine dysregulation in schizophrenia is supported by molecular evidence from post-mortem human midbrain

PubMed Central

Purves-Tyson, T D; Owens, S J; Rothmond, D A; Halliday, G M; Double, K L; Stevens, J; McCrossin, T; Shannon Weickert, C

2017-01-01

The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia posits that increased subcortical dopamine underpins psychosis. In vivo imaging studies indicate an increased presynaptic dopamine synthesis capacity in striatal terminals and cell bodies in the midbrain in schizophrenia; however, measures of the dopamine-synthesising enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), have not identified consistent changes. We hypothesise that dopamine dysregulation in schizophrenia could result from changes in expression of dopamine synthesis enzymes, receptors, transporters or catabolic enzymes. Gene expression of 12 dopamine-related molecules was examined in post-mortem midbrain (28 antipsychotic-treated schizophrenia cases/29 controls) using quantitative PCR. TH and the synaptic dopamine transporter (DAT) proteins were examined in post-mortem midbrain (26 antipsychotic-treated schizophrenia cases per 27 controls) using immunoblotting. TH and aromatic acid decarboxylase (AADC) mRNA and TH protein were unchanged in the midbrain in schizophrenia compared with controls. Dopamine receptor D2 short, vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) and DAT mRNAs were significantly decreased in schizophrenia, with no change in DRD3 mRNA, DRD3nf mRNA and DAT protein between diagnostic groups. However, DAT protein was significantly increased in putatively treatment-resistant cases of schizophrenia compared to putatively treatment-responsive cases. Midbrain monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) mRNA was increased, whereas MAOB and catechol-O-methyl transferase mRNAs were unchanged in schizophrenia. We conclude that, whereas some mRNA changes are consistent with increased dopamine action (decreased DAT mRNA), others suggest reduced dopamine action (increased MAOA mRNA) in the midbrain in schizophrenia. Here, we identify a molecular signature of dopamine dysregulation in the midbrain in schizophrenia that mainly includes gene expression changes of molecules involved in dopamine synthesis and in regulating the time course of dopamine action. PMID:28094812

Glucocorticoid Receptor Related Genes: Genotype And Brain Gene Expression Relationships To Suicide And Major Depressive Disorder

PubMed Central

Pantazatos, Spiro P.; Huang, Yung-yu; Rosoklija, Gorazd B.; Dwork, Andrew J.; Burke, Ainsley; Arango, Victoria; Oquendo, Maria A.; Mann, J. John

2016-01-01

Introduction We tested the relationship between genotype, gene expression and suicidal behavior and MDD in live subjects and postmortem samples for three genes, associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, suicidal behavior and major depressive disorder (MDD); FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5), Spindle and kinetochore-associated protein 2 (SKA2) and Glucocorticoid Receptor (NR3C1). Materials and Methods Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes were tested for association with suicidal behavior and MDD in a live (N=277) and a postmortem sample (N=209). RNA-seq was used to examine gene and isoform-level brain expression postmortem (Brodmann Area 9) (N=59). Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) relationships were examined using a public database (UK Brain Expression Consortium). Results We identified a haplotype within the FKBP5 gene, present in 47% of the live subjects, that was associated with increased risk of suicide attempt (OR=1.58, t=6.03, p=0.014). Six SNPs on this gene, three SNPs on SKA2 and one near NR3C1 showed before-adjustment association with attempted suicide, and two SNPs of SKA2 with suicide death, but none stayed significant after adjustment for multiple testing. Only the SKA2 SNPs were related to expression in the prefrontal cortex. One NR3C1 transcript had lower expression in suicide relative to non-suicide sudden death cases (b=-0.48, SE=0.12, t=-4.02, adjusted p=0.004). Conclusion We have identified an association of FKBP5 haplotype with risk of suicide attempt and found an association between suicide and altered NR3C1 gene expression in the prefrontal cortex. Our findings further implicate hypothalamic pituitary axis dysfunction in suicidal behavior. PMID:27030168

GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTOR-RELATED GENES: GENOTYPE AND BRAIN GENE EXPRESSION RELATIONSHIPS TO SUICIDE AND MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER.

PubMed

Yin, Honglei; Galfalvy, Hanga; Pantazatos, Spiro P; Huang, Yung-Yu; Rosoklija, Gorazd B; Dwork, Andrew J; Burke, Ainsley; Arango, Victoria; Oquendo, Maria A; Mann, J John

2016-06-01

We tested the relationship between genotype, gene expression and suicidal behavior and major depressive disorder (MDD) in live subjects and postmortem samples for three genes, associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, suicidal behavior, and MDD; FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5), Spindle and kinetochore-associated protein 2 (SKA2), and Glucocorticoid Receptor (NR3C1). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes were tested for association with suicidal behavior and MDD in a live (N = 277) and a postmortem sample (N = 209). RNA-seq was used to examine gene and isoform-level brain expression postmortem (Brodmann Area 9; N = 59). Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) relationships were examined using a public database (UK Brain Expression Consortium). We identified a haplotype within the FKBP5 gene, present in 47% of the live subjects, which was associated with increased risk of suicide attempt (OR = 1.58, t = 6.03, P = .014). Six SNPs on this gene, three SNPs on SKA2, and one near NR3C1 showed before-adjustment association with attempted suicide, and two SNPs of SKA2 with suicide death, but none stayed significant after adjustment for multiple testing. Only the SKA2 SNPs were related to expression in the prefrontal cortex (pFCTX). One NR3C1 transcript had lower expression in suicide relative to nonsuicide sudden death cases (b = -0.48, SE = 0.12, t = -4.02, adjusted P = .004). We have identified an association of FKBP5 haplotype with risk of suicide attempt and found an association between suicide and altered NR3C1 gene expression in the pFCTX. Our findings further implicate hypothalamic pituitary axis dysfunction in suicidal behavior. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[The theory of postmortem rigidity: the history and an original concept].

PubMed

Kil'diushov, E M; Tumanov, É V; Sokolova, Z Iu

2012-01-01

The original theory of postmortem rigidity has been developed and substantiated based on the concept of postmortem muscular contracture. It is postulated that the unrestricted growth of Ca2+ concentration in myoplasm of contractile cells during the immediate postmortal period brings the actin-myosine complex to the force generation state without subsequent relaxation.

Postmortem aging and freezing and thawing storage enhance ability of early deboned chicken pectoralis major muscle to hold added salt water

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effects of postdeboning aging and frozen storage on water-holding capacity (WHC) of chicken breast pectoralis major muscle were investigated. Broiler breast muscle was removed from carcasses either early postmortem (2 h) or later postmortem (24 h). Treatments included: no postdeboning aging; 1-...

Distribution of \\0x03949-Tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-Nor-9-Carboxy-\\0x03949-Tetrahydrocannabinol acid in postmortem biological fluids and tissues from pilots fatally injured in aviation accidents.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

Despite a long history of research on the pharmacology of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary active cannabinoid in marijuana, little is known of its distribution in postmortem fluids and tissues. This study presents postmortem fluid and tiss...

Influences of Nutrition and Physical Forces on Bone Structure/Function Properties

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-10-01

weeks old. The mice were humanely euthanized at 20 wks of age, the left femur and eighth caudal vertebrae were dissected free of soft tissue and...regime, mice were humanely euthanized and the right tibiae were removed and dissected free of soft tissue and frozen in LRS. The right tibiae...Feld MS (1998) Histopathology of human coronary artherosclerosis by quantifying its chemical composition with Raman spectr- oscopy. Circulation 97:878

Susceptibility of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to experimental infection with epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 7.

PubMed

Ruder, Mark G; Allison, Andrew B; Stallknecht, David E; Mead, Daniel G; McGraw, Sabrina M; Carter, Deborah L; Kubiski, Steven V; Batten, Carrie A; Klement, Eyal; Howerth, Elizabeth W

2012-07-01

During the fall of 2006, in Israel, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) serotype 7 caused an intense and widespread epizootic in domestic cattle that resulted in significant economic losses for the dairy industry. The susceptibility of potential North American vector and ruminant hosts to infection with EHDV-7 is not known but is essential to understanding the potential for establishment of this exotic orbivirus in North America if it were introduced. Our primary objective was to determine whether white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus) are susceptible to infection with EHDV-7. Six, 8-mo-old WTD were experimentally infected with EHDV-7, and all became infected and exhibited varying degrees of clinical disease. Clinical signs, clinicopathologic abnormalities, and postmortem findings were consistent with previous reports of orbiviral hemorrhagic disease (HD) in this species. Four of six animals died or were euthanized because of the severity of disease, one on postinoculation day (PID) 5 and the remaining WTD on PID 7. All deer had detectable viremia on PID 3, which peaked on PID 5 or 6 and persisted for as long as PID 46 in one animal. Deer surviving the acute phase of the disease seroconverted by PID 10. Based on the 67% mortality rate we observed, this strain of EHDV-7 is virulent in WTD, reaffirming their role as a sentinel species for the detection of endemic and nonendemic EHDV. Further, the observed disease was indistinguishable from previous reports of disease caused by North American EHDV and bluetongue virus serotypes, highlighting the importance of serotype-specific diagnostics during suspected HD outbreaks.

Chronology of the Intrapuparial Development of the Blowfly Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera: Calliphoridae): Application in Forensic Entomology.

PubMed

Salazar-Souza, Mônica; Couri, Márcia S; Aguiar, Valeria M

2018-04-12

Insects display different patterns of development, and blow flies have one of the most specialized patterns of intrapuparial development of all. In forensic entomology, pupae can be used as a tool to estimate the minimum postmortem time interval (minPMI). We analyzed the intrapuparial development of Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera: Caloricidade), whose larvae had been fed pig lungs and reared in a climate-controlled room at 28°C day/26°C night, 70 ± 10% RH, and 12 h of photophase and monitored daily. After the third-instar larvae abandoned their diet, the process of pupariation and pupation was monitored. At pre-established times, five pupae were collected, euthanized, and fixed in 5% formaldehyde, inside polypropylene test tubes with caps. Since they were the first, they were classified as 0 h pupae. Twelve collections occurred until the emergence of the adults, at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 24, 30, 48, 54, 72, 78, 96, and 99 h (n = 84). The fixed pupae were dissected under the microscope, with the aid of anatomical tweezers and hypodermic needles, and photographed. The stages of metamorphosis and the morphological alterations occurring during the process were identified, described, and recorded before and after pupation. These phases were: pupation, larval pupal apolysis, cryptocephalic, phanerocephalic, pharate adult, emergence, and adult. The cryptophalic phase occurred between 4 and 6 h after pupation; the phanerocephalic phase between 6 and 10 h after; the pharate adult phase between 24 and 96 h after; and the imago/emergence phase 99 h after pupation.

Development of a novel anisotropic self-inflating tissue expander: in vivo submucoperiosteal performance in the porcine hard palate.

PubMed

Swan, Marc C; Bucknall, David G; Czernuszka, Jan T; Pigott, David W; Goodacre, Timothy E E

2012-01-01

The advent of self-inflating hydrogel tissue expanders heralded a significant advance in the reconstructive potential of this technique. Their use, however, is limited by their uncontrolled isotropic (i.e., uniform in all directions) expansion. Anisotropy (i.e., directional dependence) was achieved by annealing a hydrogel copolymer of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-vinyl pyrrolidone) under a compressive load for a specified time period. The expansion ratio is dictated by the percentage of vinyl pyrrolidone content and the degree of compression. The expansion rate is modified by incorporating the polymer within a silicone membrane. The in vivo efficacy of differing prototype devices was investigated in juvenile pigs under United Kingdom Home Office Licence. The devices were implanted within a submucoperiosteal pocket in a total of six porcine palates; all were euthanized by 6 weeks after implantation. A longitudinal volumetric assessment of the expanded tissue was conducted, in addition to postmortem analysis of the bony and mucoperiosteal palatal elements. Uncoated devices caused excessive soft-tissue expansion that resulted in mucoperiosteal ulceration, thus necessitating animal euthanasia. The silicone-coated devices produced controlled soft-tissue expansion over the 6-week study period. There was a statistically significant increase in the volume of expanded soft tissue with no evidence of a significant acute inflammatory response to the implant, although peri-implant capsule formation was observed. Attenuation of the bony palatal shelf was noted. A unique anisotropic hydrogel device capable of controlled expansion has been developed that addresses a number of the shortcomings of the technology hitherto available.

Periodontal disease burden and pathological changes in organs of dogs.

PubMed

Pavlica, Zlatko; Petelin, Milan; Juntes, Polona; Erzen, Damjan; Crossley, David A; Skaleric, Uros

2008-06-01

Bacterial plaque associated periodontal disease is the most common chronic infection in man and dogs. In man, there is an association between periodontal disease and myocardial infarction and stroke, while in dogs it has also been associated with changes in internal organs. Inflamed periodontal tissues present a 'periodontal disease burden' to the host and the extent of this inflammatory disease burden is likely to affect the degree of associated pathological change in distant organs. This hypothesis was investigated in dogs with naturally occurring periodontal disease. Post-mortem investigations including periodontal assessment, standard necropsy, and organ histology were performed on 44 mature toy and miniature Poodles (related, periodontitis predisposed breeds) that died naturally or were euthanized based on clinical disease. Animals with gross primary organ pathology were excluded. The periodontal disease burden was estimated from the total surface area of periodontal pocket epithelium using six measurements of probing depth for each tooth and the tooth circumferences. Ordinal logistic regression (OR) analysis established that for each square centimeter of periodontal disease burden there was a 1.4-times higher likelihood of greater changes being present in the left atrio-ventricular valves (OR = 1.43), plus 1.2 and 1.4 times higher likelihoodfor greater liver and kidney pathology (OR = 1.21; OR = 1.42), respectively The results show that there is a link between the estimated 'periodontal disease burden' resulting from plaque-bacteria associated periodontal disease and the level of internal pathology in this population, implying that periodontitis might contribute to the development of systemic pathology in dogs.

Coyote (Canis latrans) and domestic dog (Canis familiaris) mortality and morbidity due to a Karenia brevis red tide in the Gulf of Mexico.

PubMed

Castle, Kevin T; Flewelling, Leanne J; Bryan, John; Kramer, Adam; Lindsay, James; Nevada, Cheyenne; Stablein, Wade; Wong, David; Landsberg, Jan H

2013-10-01

In October 2009, during a Karenia brevis red tide along the Texas coast, millions of dead fish washed ashore along the 113-km length of Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS). Between November 2009 and January 2010, at least 12 coyotes (Canis latrans) and three domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) died or were euthanized at PAIS or local veterinary clinics because of illness suspected to be related to the red tide. Another red tide event occurred during autumn 2011 and, although fewer dead fish were observed relative to the 2009 event, coyotes again were affected. Staff at PAIS submitted carcasses of four coyotes and one domestic dog from November 2009 to February 2010 and six coyotes from October to November 2011 for necropsy and ancillary testing. High levels of brevetoxins (PbTxs) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in seven of the coyotes and the dog, with concentrations up to 634 ng PbTx-3 eq/g in stomach contents, 545 ng PbTx-3 eq/g in liver, 195 ng PbTx-3 eq/g in kidney, and 106 ng PbTx-3 eq/mL in urine samples. Based on red tide presence, clinical signs, and postmortem findings, brevetoxicosis caused by presumptive ingestion of toxic dead fish was the likely cause of canid deaths at PAIS. These findings represent the first confirmed report of terrestrial mammalian wildlife mortalities related to a K. brevis bloom. The implications for red tide impacts on terrestrial wildlife populations are a potentially significant but relatively undocumented phenomenon.

Qualification of serological infectious disease assays for the screening of samples from deceased tissue donors.

PubMed

Kitchen, A D; Newham, J A

2011-05-01

Whilst some of the assays used for serological screening of post-mortem blood samples from deceased tissue donors in some countries have been specifically validated by the manufacturer for this purpose, a significant number of those currently in use globally have not. Although specificity has previously been considered a problem in the screening of such samples, we believe that ensuring sensitivity is more important. The aim of this study was to validate a broader range of assays for the screening of post-mortem blood samples from deceased tissue donors. Six microplate immunoassays currently in use within National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) for the screening of blood, tissue and stem cell donations were included. Representative samples from confirmed positive donors were titrated in screen negative post-mortem samples in parallel with normal pooled negative serum to determine if there was any inhibition with the post-mortem samples. There were no significant differences seen (P < 0.005) between the dilution curves obtained for the positive samples diluted in post-mortem samples and normal pooled sera. Although small numbers of samples were studied, it can be surmised that the post-mortem blood samples from deceased tissue donors, collected according to United Kingdom guidelines, are a suitable substrate for the assays evaluated. No diminution of reactivity was seen when dilution with sera from deceased donors was compared to dilution using pooled serum from live donors. In the absence of genuine low titre positive post-mortem samples, the use of samples spiked with various levels of target material provides a means of qualifying serological screening assays used by NHSBT for the screening of post-mortem blood samples from deceased tissue donors.

Meat quality and rigor mortis development in broiler chickens with gas-induced anoxia and postmortem electrical stimulation.

PubMed

Sams, A R; Dzuik, C S

1999-10-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the combined rigor-accelerating effects of postmortem electrical stimulation (ES) and argon-induced anoxia (Ar) of broiler chickens. One hundred broilers were processed in the following treatments: untreated controls, ES, Ar, or Ar with ES (Ar + ES). Breast fillets were harvested at 1 h postmortem for all treatments or at 1 and 6 h postmortem for the control carcasses. Fillets were sampled for pH and ratio of inosine to adenosine (R-value) and were then individually quick frozen (IQF) or aged on ice (AOI) until 24 h postmortem. Color was measured in the AOI fillets at 24 h postmortem. All fillets were then cooked and evaluated for Allo-Kramer shear value. The Ar treatment accelerated the normal pH decline, whereas the ES and AR + ES treatments yielded even lower pH values at 1 h postmortem. The Ar + ES treatment had a greater R-value than the ES treatment, which was greater than either the Ar or 1-h controls, which, in turn, were not different from each other. The ES treatment had the lowest L* value, and ES, Ar, and Ar + ES produced significantly higher a* values than the 1-h controls. For the IQF fillets, the ES and Ar + ES treatments were not different in shear value but were lower than Ar, which was lower than the 1-h controls. The same was true for the AOI fillets except that the ES and the Ar treatments were not different. These results indicated that although ES and Ar had rigor-accelerating and tenderizing effects, ES seemed to be more effective than Ar; there was little enhancement when Ar was added to the ES treatment and fillets were deboned at 1 h postmortem.

Rigor mortis at the myocardium investigated by post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Bonzon, Jérôme; Schön, Corinna A; Schwendener, Nicole; Zech, Wolf-Dieter; Kara, Levent; Persson, Anders; Jackowski, Christian

2015-12-01

Post-mortem cardiac MR exams present with different contraction appearances of the left ventricle in cardiac short axis images. It was hypothesized that the grade of post-mortem contraction may be related to the post-mortem interval (PMI) or cause of death and a phenomenon caused by internal rigor mortis that may give further insights in the circumstances of death. The cardiac contraction grade was investigated in 71 post-mortem cardiac MR exams (mean age at death 52 y, range 12-89 y; 48 males, 23 females). In cardiac short axis images the left ventricular lumen volume as well as the left ventricular myocardial volume were assessed by manual segmentation. The quotient of both (LVQ) represents the grade of myocardial contraction. LVQ was correlated to the PMI, sex, age, cardiac weight, body mass and height, cause of death and pericardial tamponade when present. In cardiac causes of death a separate correlation was investigated for acute myocardial infarction cases and arrhythmic deaths. LVQ values ranged from 1.99 (maximum dilatation) to 42.91 (maximum contraction) with a mean of 15.13. LVQ decreased slightly with increasing PMI, however without significant correlation. Pericardial tamponade positively correlated with higher LVQ values. Variables such as sex, age, body mass and height, cardiac weight and cause of death did not correlate with LVQ values. There was no difference in LVQ values for myocardial infarction without tamponade and arrhythmic deaths. Based on the observation in our investigated cases, the phenomenon of post-mortem myocardial contraction cannot be explained by the influence of the investigated variables, except for pericardial tamponade cases. Further research addressing post-mortem myocardial contraction has to focus on other, less obvious factors, which may influence the early post-mortem phase too. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differences in sampling techniques on total post-mortem tryptase.

PubMed

Tse, R; Garland, J; Kesha, K; Elstub, H; Cala, A D; Ahn, Y; Stables, S; Palmiere, C

2018-05-01

The measurement of mast cell tryptase is commonly used to support the diagnosis of anaphylaxis. In the post-mortem setting, the literature recommends sampling from peripheral blood sources (femoral blood) but does not specify the exact sampling technique. Sampling techniques vary between pathologists, and it is unclear whether different sampling techniques have any impact on post-mortem tryptase levels. The aim of this study is to compare the difference in femoral total post-mortem tryptase levels between two sampling techniques. A 6-month retrospective study comparing femoral total post-mortem tryptase levels between (1) aspirating femoral vessels with a needle and syringe prior to evisceration and (2) femoral vein cut down during evisceration. Twenty cases were identified, with three cases excluded from analysis. There was a statistically significant difference (paired t test, p < 0.05) between mean post-mortem tryptase by aspiration (10.87 ug/L) and by cut down (14.15 ug/L). The mean difference between the two methods was 3.28 ug/L (median, 1.4 ug/L; min, - 6.1 ug/L; max, 16.5 ug/L; 95% CI, 0.001-6.564 ug/L). Femoral total post-mortem tryptase is significantly different, albeit by a small amount, between the two sampling methods. The clinical significance of this finding and what factors may contribute to it are unclear. When requesting post-mortem tryptase, the pathologist should consider documenting the exact blood collection site and method used for collection. In addition, blood samples acquired by different techniques should not be mixed together and should be analyzed separately if possible.

Search for fungi-specific metabolites of four model drugs in postmortem blood as potential indicators of postmortem fungal metabolism.

PubMed

Martínez-Ramírez, Jorge A; Strien, Juliane; Walther, Grit; Peters, Frank T

2016-05-01

Fungi colonizing cadavers are capable of drug metabolism and may thus change the metabolite pattern or concentration of drugs in forensic postmortem samples. The purpose of this study was to check for the presence of such changes by searching fungi-specific metabolites of four model drugs (amitriptyline, metoprolol, mirtazapine, and zolpidem) in decomposed postmortem blood samples from 33 cases involving these drugs. After isolation and identification of fungal strains present in the samples, each isolate was incubated in Sabouraud medium at 25°C for up to 120h with each model drug. One part of the supernatants was directly analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), another after liquid-liquid extraction with chlorobutane and concentration. From 21 out of 33 decomposed postmortem blood samples (64%) a total of 30 different strains could be isolated, one from the class of Ascomycete and the rest belonging to 15 species from 8 different genera (number of species): Aspergillus (2), Botrytis (1), Candida (8), Fusarium (1), Mucor (1), Penicillium (1), and Rodothorula (1). In the in vitro studies, these microorganisms were found capable of N-demethylation and N-oxidation of amitriptyline and mirtazapine, O-demethylation followed by side chain oxidation of metoprolol as well as hydroxylation of all four-model drugs. In two of the postmortem blood samples, from which the fungi Aspergillus jensenii, Candida parapsilosis. and Mucor circinelloides had been isolated, a fungi-specific hydroxy zolpidem metabolite was detected. The presence of this metabolite in postmortem samples likely indicates postmortem fungal biodegradation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

No Child Left Behind: A Postmortem for Illinois

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harman, Wm. Gregory; Boden, Camille; Karpenski, Jeremy; Muchowicz, Nicole

2016-01-01

In this study, the outcomes of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), as implemented in Illinois, are evaluated in terms of high school standards testing results between 2003-2013. NCLB was a policy dedicated to closing the gap in schooling outcomes nationally in the space of a decade. There have been few systematic examinations of its macro-level results…

Optic neuritis caused by canine distemper virus in a Jack Russell terrier

PubMed Central

Richards, Tara R.; Whelan, Nick C.; Pinard, Chantale L.; Alcala, Fernanda Castillo; Wolfe, Katheryn C.

2011-01-01

An atypical case of canine distemper (CD) was diagnosed in a vaccinated healthy adult dog. The patient was presented circling, seizuring, and blind. Postmortem examination resulted in a diagnosis of CD. Optic neuritis was diagnosed, a finding not previously described in the context of CD virus infection presenting solely with neurological signs. PMID:21731093

Adenovirus Type 7 Pneumonia in Children Who Died from Measles-Associated Pneumonia, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2014.

PubMed

Hai, Le Thanh; Thach, Hoang Ngoc; Tuan, Ta Anh; Nam, Dao Huu; Dien, Tran Minh; Sato, Yuko; Kumasaka, Toshio; Suzuki, Tadaki; Hanaoka, Nozomu; Fujimoto, Tsuguto; Katano, Harutaka; Hasegawa, Hideki; Kawachi, Shoji; Nakajima, Noriko

2016-04-01

During a 2014 measles outbreak in Vietnam, postmortem pathologic examination of hospitalized children who died showed that adenovirus type 7 pneumonia was a contributory cause of death in children with measles-associated immune suppression. Adenovirus type 7 pneumonia should be recognized as a major cause of secondary infection after measles.

Lessons learned about [F-18]-AV-1451 off-target binding from an autopsy-confirmed Parkinson's case.

PubMed

Marquié, Marta; Verwer, Eline E; Meltzer, Avery C; Kim, Sally Ji Who; Agüero, Cinthya; Gonzalez, Jose; Makaretz, Sara J; Siao Tick Chong, Michael; Ramanan, Prianca; Amaral, Ana C; Normandin, Marc D; Vanderburg, Charles R; Gomperts, Stephen N; Johnson, Keith A; Frosch, Matthew P; Gómez-Isla, Teresa

2017-10-19

[F-18]-AV-1451 is a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer with high affinity to neurofibrillary tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). PET studies have shown increased tracer retention in patients clinically diagnosed with dementia of AD type and mild cognitive impairment in regions that are known to contain tau lesions. In vivo uptake has also consistently been observed in midbrain, basal ganglia and choroid plexus in elderly individuals regardless of their clinical diagnosis, including clinically normal whose brains are not expected to harbor tau pathology in those areas. We and others have shown that [F-18]-AV-1451 exhibits off-target binding to neuromelanin, melanin and blood products on postmortem material; and this is important for the correct interpretation of PET images. In the present study, we further investigated [F-18]-AV-1451 off-target binding in the first autopsy-confirmed Parkinson's disease (PD) subject who underwent antemortem PET imaging. The PET scan showed elevated [F-18]-AV-1451 retention predominantly in inferior temporal cortex, basal ganglia, midbrain and choroid plexus. Neuropathologic examination confirmed the PD diagnosis. Phosphor screen and high resolution autoradiography failed to show detectable [F-18]-AV-1451 binding in multiple brain regions examined with the exception of neuromelanin-containing neurons in the substantia nigra, leptomeningeal melanocytes adjacent to ventricles and midbrain, and microhemorrhages in the occipital cortex (all reflecting off-target binding), in addition to incidental age-related neurofibrillary tangles in the entorhinal cortex. Additional legacy postmortem brain samples containing basal ganglia, choroid plexus, and parenchymal hemorrhages from 20 subjects with various neuropathologic diagnoses were also included in the autoradiography experiments to better understand what [F-18]-AV-1451 in vivo positivity in those regions means. No detectable [F-18]-AV-1451 autoradiographic binding was present in the basal ganglia of the PD case or any of the other subjects. Off-target binding in postmortem choroid plexus samples was only observed in subjects harboring leptomeningeal melanocytes within the choroidal stroma. Off-target binding to parenchymal hemorrhages was noticed in postmortem material from subjects with cerebral amyloid angiopathy. The imaging-postmortem correlation analysis in this PD case reinforces the notion that [F-18]-AV-1451 has strong affinity for neurofibrillary tau pathology but also exhibits off-target binding to neuromelanin, melanin and blood components. The robust off-target in vivo retention in basal ganglia and choroid plexus, in the absence of tau deposits, meningeal melanocytes or any other identifiable binding substrate by autoradiography in the PD case reported here, also suggests that the PET signal in those regions may be influenced, at least in part, by biological or technical factors that occur in vivo and are not captured by autoradiography.

The Impact of an Integrated Program of Return-to-Field and Targeted Trap-Neuter-Return on Feline Intake and Euthanasia at a Municipal Animal Shelter

PubMed Central

Spehar, Daniel D.; Wolf, Peter J.

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Dramatic declines in the number of cats admitted to and euthanized at U.S. shelters have taken place in recent decades. Still, millions of cats, many of them free-roaming, enter shelters each year. At some facilities, as many as 70% of feline admissions are euthanized, and it is estimated that, nationally, up to one million or more cats are euthanized each year. New approaches, including return-to-field (RTF) and targeted trap-neuter-return (TNR) appear to have transformative potential. The present study examines changes in feline intake and euthanasia, as well as impacts on associated metrics, at a municipal animal shelter in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after formal RTF and targeted TNR protocols, collectively referred to as a community cat program (CCP), were added to ongoing community-based TNR efforts and a pilot RTF initiative. As part of the three-year CCP, 11,746 cats were trapped, sterilized, vaccinated and returned or adopted. Feline euthanasia at the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department (AAWD) declined by 84.1% and feline intake dropped by 37.6%; the live release rate (LRR) increased by 47.7% due primarily to these reductions in both intake and euthanasia. Modest increases in the percentage of cats returned to owner (RTO) and the adoption rate were also observed, although both metrics decreased on an absolute basis, while the number of calls to the city about dead cats declined. Abstract Available evidence indicates that overall levels of feline intake and euthanasia at U.S. shelters have significantly declined in recent decades. Nevertheless, millions of cats, many of them free-roaming, continue to be admitted to shelters each year. In some locations, as many as 70% of cats, perhaps up to one million or more per year nationally, are euthanized. New approaches, including return-to-field (RTF) and targeted trap-neuter-return (TNR) appear to have transformative potential. The purpose of the present study was to examine changes in feline intake and euthanasia, as well as additional associated metrics, at a municipal animal shelter in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after institutionalized RTF and targeted TNR protocols, together referred to as a community cat program (CCP), were added to ongoing community-based TNR efforts and a pilot RTF initiative. Over the course of the CCP, which ran from April 2012 to March 2015, 11,746 cats were trapped, sterilized, vaccinated, and returned or adopted. Feline euthanasia at the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department (AAWD) declined by 84.1% and feline intake dropped by 37.6% over three years; the live release rate (LRR) increased by 47.7% due primarily to these reductions in both intake and euthanasia. Modest increases in the percentage of cats returned to owner (RTO) and the adoption rate were also observed, although both metrics decreased on an absolute basis, while the number of calls to the city about dead cats declined. PMID:29652808

Exposure of research personnel to carbon dioxide during euthanasia procedures.

PubMed

Amparan, Ashlee A; Djoufack-Momo, Shelly M; Grunden, Beverly; Boivin, Gregory P-

2014-07-01

CO₂ is one of the most commonly used euthanasia agents for laboratory animals. Considerable research has gone into the effect of the agent on animals, but little has been done to examine potential human exposure during these procedures. In this study, we examine the CO₂ concentrations to which personnel are exposed while euthanizing rodents with CO₂. To examine the environmental levels of CO₂ generated during euthanasia, we examined several variables including flow rate, inclusion of a cage in the euthanasia chamber, inversion of the euthanasia chamber, chamber size, distance from the euthanasia chamber, and room size. Under all conditions, CO₂ concentrations in the room temporarily increased significantly to 600 to 4000 ppm. The results of this study show that, under several testing scenarios, occupational levels of CO₂ did not exceed governmentally mandated allowable exposure limits during routine rodent euthanasia procedures.

Postmortem aging can significantly enhance water-holding capacity of broiler pectoralis major muscle measured by the salt-induced swelling/centrifuge method

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water-holding capacity (WHC) is one of the most important functional properties of fresh meat and can be significantly affected by postmortem muscle changes. Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of postmortem aging on WHC of broiler pectoralis (p.) major muscle indicated with % s...

Analysis of Sertraline in Postmortem Fluids and Tissues in 11 Aviation Accident Victims

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-01

likely undergoes significant postmortem redistribution. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Forensic Toxicology , Sertraline, Norsertraline... Toxicology .. Forensic Sci Int,.142:.75-100.(2004) . 29 .. Skopp,.G ..Postmortem.Toxicology .. Forensic Sci Med Pathol,.6:.314-25.(2010) . ... toxicological . analysis. on. specimens.from.….aircraft.accident.fatalities”.and.“in- vestigate.….general.aviation.and.air.carrier.accidents. and. search

Specific patterns of canine scavenging in indoor settings.

PubMed

Colard, Thomas; Delannoy, Yann; Naji, Stephan; Gosset, Didier; Hartnett, Kristen; Bécart, Anne

2015-03-01

Postmortem animal mutilations due to domestic dogs in isolated domestic deaths are taphonomic modifications regularly observed by forensic pathologists. They are rarely described in the literature; however, even though they present specific patterns. Through 41 cases, 10 at the forensic institute in Lille (France) and 31 at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (USA), plus 22 cases from the literature, specific locations and patterns of postmortem scavenging lesions are proposed. These lesions are mainly distributed in three locations: the face, especially the nose and the mouth (73.1%), the neck (43.1%), and the arm (shoulder/upper limb [29.2%], hand [26.8%]). We discuss the time span between death and scavenging, the consequences on identification, and comparison with outdoor settings. Outdoor scavenging lesions are mainly located on the trunk and limbs usually sparing the head, which strongly differs from indoor distribution and imply different animal motivations. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Prevalence and distribution of Baylisascaris procyonis in urban raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

PubMed

Sexsmith, Jennifer L; Whiting, Terry L; Green, Chris; Orvis, Sheldon; Berezanski, Dean J; Thompson, Amy B

2009-08-01

The prevalence of Baylisascaris procyonis was estimated in the urban raccoon population of Winnipeg through the fecal flotation of raccoon feces collected at active latrines and through gross postmortem and fecal flotation of samples collected from nuisance raccoons. Fecal flotation of latrine-collected feces was positive in 33 of 89 samples and, of 52 latrines identified, 26 were positive on 1 or more occasions. Trapped individual raccoons subjected to postmortem examination were positive in 57 of 114 animals captured. Comparing a single fecal flotation to the gold standard of finding adult worms in the small intestine had a sensitivity of 78.9% and specificity of 92.9%. This study suggests that carriage of Baylisascaris procyonis is widespread in raccoons in the Winnipeg urban ecosystem. Raccoon latrines in Winnipeg should be treated as infectious sites and efforts should be made to limit access of pets and people at risk to those sites.

Estimation of the time since death--reconsidering the re-establishment of rigor mortis.

PubMed

Anders, Sven; Kunz, Michaela; Gehl, Axel; Sehner, Susanne; Raupach, Tobias; Beck-Bornholdt, Hans-Peter

2013-01-01

In forensic medicine, there is an undefined data background for the phenomenon of re-establishment of rigor mortis after mechanical loosening, a method used in establishing time since death in forensic casework that is thought to occur up to 8 h post-mortem. Nevertheless, the method is widely described in textbooks on forensic medicine. We examined 314 joints (elbow and knee) of 79 deceased at defined time points up to 21 h post-mortem (hpm). Data were analysed using a random intercept model. Here, we show that re-establishment occurred in 38.5% of joints at 7.5 to 19 hpm. Therefore, the maximum time span for the re-establishment of rigor mortis appears to be 2.5-fold longer than thought so far. These findings have major impact on the estimation of time since death in forensic casework.

Myositis, Ganglioneuritis, and Myocarditis with Distinct Perifascicular Muscle Atrophy in a 2-Year-Old Male Boxer

PubMed Central

Rossman, Paul M.; Thomovsky, Stephanie A.; Schafbuch, Ryan M.; Guo, Ling T.; Shelton, G. D.

2018-01-01

A 2-year-old male, intact Boxer was referred for chronic diarrhea, hyporexia, labored breathing, weakness and elevated creatine kinase, and alanine aminotransferase activities. Initial examination and diagnostics revealed a peripheral nervous system neurolocalization, atrial premature complexes, and generalized megaesophagus. Progressive worsening of the dog’s condition was noted after 36 h; the dog developed aspiration pneumonia, was febrile and oxygen dependent. The owners elected humane euthanasia. Immediately postmortem biopsies of the left cranial tibial and triceps muscles and the left peroneal nerve were obtained. Postmortem histology revealed concurrent myositis, myocarditis, endocarditis, and ganglioneuritis. Mixed mononuclear cell infiltrations and a distinct perifascicular pattern of muscle fiber atrophy was present in both muscles. This is a novel case of diffuse inflammatory myopathy with a distinct perifascicular pattern of atrophy in addition to endocarditis, myocarditis, and epicarditis. PMID:29516006

Background and current status of postmortem imaging in Japan: short history of "Autopsy imaging (Ai)".

PubMed

Okuda, Takahisa; Shiotani, Seiji; Sakamoto, Namiko; Kobayashi, Tomoya

2013-02-10

There is a low autopsy rate and wide distribution of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners in Japan. Therefore, many Japanese hospitals, including 36% of the hospitals with in-patient facilities and 89% of large hospitals with ER facilities conduct postmortem imaging (PMI), use clinical scanners to screen for causes in unusual deaths as an alternative to an autopsy or to determine whether an autopsy is needed. The Japanese PMI examination procedure is generally referred to as "autopsy imaging" (Ai) and the term "Ai" is now commonly used by the Japanese government. Currently, 26 of 47 Japanese prefectures have at least one Ai Center with scanners that are dedicated for PMI. Here, we briefly review the history of Japanese PMI (Ai) from 1985 to the present. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification, Collection, and Preservation of Veterinary Forensic Evidence: On Scene and During the Postmortem Examination.

PubMed

Touroo, R; Fitch, A

2016-09-01

Although it is the obligation of the veterinary forensic pathologist to be competent in identifying, collecting, and preserving evidence from the body, it is also necessary for them to understand the relevance of conditions on the crime scene. The body is just one piece of the puzzle that needs to be considered when determining the cause of death. The information required for a complete postmortem analysis should also include details of the animal's environment and items of evidence present on the crime scene. These factors will assist the veterinary forensic pathologist in the interpretation of necropsy findings. Therefore, the veterinary forensic pathologist needs to have a basic understanding of how the crime scene is processed, as well as the role of the forensic veterinarian on scene. In addition, the veterinary forensic pathologist must remain unbiased, necessitating an understanding of evidence maintenance and authentication. © The Author(s) 2016.

Atherosclerosis associated with pericardial effusion in a central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps).

PubMed

Schilliger, Lionel; Lemberger, Karin; Chai, Norin; Bourgeois, Aude; Charpentier, Maud

2010-09-01

Atherosclerosis is a common disease in pet birds, particularly in psittacines, and is frequently found when performing postmortem examinations on adult and old dogs, in which it is mainly associated with endocrine diseases, such as hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus. However, atherosclerosis is poorly documented in reptiles and consequently poorly understood. In the current case report, atherosclerosis and pericardial effusion were diagnosed in a 2-year-old male central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) based on ultrasound visualization, necropsy, and histologic examination.

MRI findings of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in a cat

PubMed Central

White, Crystal; Mortier, Jeremy; Verin, Ranieri; Maddox, Thomas; Goncalves, Rita; Sanchez-Masian, Daniel

2018-01-01

Case summary A 2-year-old male domestic shorthair cat presented to the University of Liverpool Small Animal Teaching Hospital with a 2 week history of altered mentation, blindness and focal epileptic seizures. MRI examination revealed generalised cerebral and cerebellar atrophy, diffuse T2-weighted hyperintensity of the white matter and meningeal thickening. Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis was confirmed on post-mortem examination. Relevance and novel information This is the first report of the MRI findings of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in a cat. PMID:29531776

Best-practices approach to determination of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at specific time points: Combination of ante-mortem alcohol pharmacokinetic modeling and post-mortem alcohol generation and transport considerations.

PubMed

Cowan, Dallas M; Maskrey, Joshua R; Fung, Ernest S; Woods, Tyler A; Stabryla, Lisa M; Scott, Paul K; Finley, Brent L

2016-07-01

Alcohol concentrations in biological matrices offer information regarding an individual's intoxication level at a given time. In forensic cases, the alcohol concentration in the blood (BAC) at the time of death is sometimes used interchangeably with the BAC measured post-mortem, without consideration for alcohol concentration changes in the body after death. However, post-mortem factors must be taken into account for accurate forensic determination of BAC prior to death to avoid incorrect conclusions. The main objective of this work was to describe best practices for relating ante-mortem and post-mortem alcohol concentrations, using a combination of modeling, empirical data and other qualitative considerations. The Widmark modeling approach is a best practices method for superimposing multiple alcohol doses ingested at various times with alcohol elimination rate adjustments based on individual body factors. We combined the selected ante-mortem model with a suggestion for an approach used to roughly estimate changes in BAC post-mortem, and then analyzed the available data on post-mortem alcohol production in human bodies and potential markers for alcohol production through decomposition and putrefaction. Hypothetical cases provide best practice approaches as an example for determining alcohol concentration in biological matrices ante-mortem, as well as potential issues encountered with quantitative post-mortem approaches. This study provides information for standardizing BAC determination in forensic toxicology, while minimizing real world case uncertainties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevention of abnormal pulmonary mechanics in the postmortem guinea pig lung.

PubMed

Reynolds, A M; McEvoy, R D

1988-04-01

Severe postmortem bronchoconstriction has been shown previously in guinea pig lungs and linked to pulmonary blood loss during exsanguination (Lai et al., J. Appl. Physiol. 56: 308-314, 1984). To reexamine this phenomenon we measured postmortem airway function in anesthetized open-chest guinea pigs after sudden circulatory arrest. Animals were divided into 4 groups of 10 and ventilated for 15 min postmortem with different gases: 1) room air, 2) conditioned air, 3) dry 5% CO2-21% O2-74% N2, and 4) conditioned 5% CO2-21% O2-74% N2. In room air-ventilated lungs there was a 50% decrease in dynamic compliance (Cdyn) by 15 min and marked gas trapping compared with control lungs. Conditioning the room air did not attenuate these changes, but when 5% CO2 was added to the conditioned postmortem inspirate, gas trapping was eliminated and the fall in Cdyn was almost abolished. Ventilation with a dry 5% CO2 gas mixture at room temperature resulted in a 31% fall in Cdyn at 15 min but no gas trapping. We conclude that marked abnormalities of airway function occur postmortem in room air-ventilated guinea pig lungs in the absence of pulmonary blood loss. The changes are mainly due to airway hypocarbia, a known cause of bronchoconstriction, but a reduction in Cdyn can also occur if there is marked airway cooling and drying. Acute postmortem airway dysfunction can be prevented in the guinea pig by maintaining normal airway gas composition.

Quantification of Toxoplasma gondii in tissue samples of experimentally infected goats by magnetic capture and real-time PCR.

PubMed

Juránková, Jana; Opsteegh, Marieke; Neumayerová, Helena; Kovařčík, Kamil; Frencová, Anita; Baláž, Vojtěch; Volf, Jiří; Koudela, Břetislav

2013-03-31

Undercooked meat containing tissue cysts is one of the most common sources of Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans. Goats are very susceptible to clinical toxoplasmosis, and especially kids are common food animals, thereby representing a risk for human infection. A sequence-specific magnetic capture method was used for isolation of T. gondii DNA from tissue samples from experimentally infected goat-kids and real-time PCR for the 529 bp repeat element allowed quantification of T. gondii DNA. The contamination level in different types of tissue and in two groups of goats euthanized 30 and 90 dpi was compared. The highest concentration of T. gondii DNA in both groups of goats was found in lung tissue, but only the higher parasite count in lung tissue compared to other organs in group A (euthanized 30 dpi) was statistically significant. T. gondii concentrations were higher in liver and dorsal muscle samples from goats euthanized 90 dpi than in goats euthanized at 30 dpi, while the T. gondii concentration in hearts decreased. This study describes for the first time distribution of T. gondii parasites in post-weaned goat kids. New information about T. gondii predilection sites in goats and about the progression of infection between 30 and 90 dpi was achieved. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conceptual modeling of postmortem evaluation findings to describe dairy cow deaths.

PubMed

McConnel, C S; Garry, F B; Hill, A E; Lombard, J E; Gould, D H

2010-01-01

Dairy cow mortality levels in the United States are excessive and increasing over time. To better define cause and effect and combat rising mortality, clearer definitions of the reasons that cows die need to be acquired through thorough necropsy-based postmortem evaluations. The current study focused on organizing information generated from postmortem evaluations into a monitoring system that is based on the fundamentals of conceptual modeling and that will potentially be translatable into on-farm relational databases. This observational study was conducted on 3 high-producing, commercial dairies in northern Colorado. Throughout the study period a thorough postmortem evaluation was performed by veterinarians on cows that died on each dairy. Postmortem data included necropsy findings, life-history features (e.g., birth date, lactation number, lactational and reproductive status), clinical history and treatments, and pertinent aspects of operational management that were subject to change and considered integral to the poor outcome. During this study, 174 postmortem evaluations were performed. Postmortem evaluation results were conceptually modeled to view each death within the context of the web of factors influencing the dairy and the cow. Categories were formulated describing mortality in terms of functional characteristics potentially amenable to easy performance evaluation, management oversight, and research. In total, 21 death categories with 7 category themes were created. Themes included specific disease processes with variable etiologies, failure of disease recognition or treatment, traumatic events, multifactorial failures linked to transition or negative energy balance issues, problems with feed management, miscellaneous events not amenable to prevention or treatment, and undetermined causes. Although postmortem evaluations provide the relevant information necessary for framing a cow's death, a restructuring of on-farm databases is needed to integrate this level of detail into useful monitoring systems. Individual operations can focus on combating mortality through the use of employee training related to postmortem evaluations, detailed forms for capturing necropsy particulars and other relevant information related to deaths, and standardized nomenclature and categorization schemes. As much as anything, the simple act of recognizing mortality as a problem might be the most fundamental step toward controlling its progression. Copyright 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between water-holding capacity and protein denaturation in broiler breast meat.

PubMed

Bowker, B; Zhuang, H

2015-07-01

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between water-holding capacity (WHC) attributes and protein denaturation in broiler breast meat. Boneless skinless breast fillets (n = 72) were collected from a commercial processing plant at 2 h postmortem and segregated into low-WHC and high-WHC groups based on muscle pH and color (L*a*b*). At 6 and 24 h postmortem, brine uptake (%), cooking loss (%), and protein solubility (sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar) were measured and protein fractions were analyzed using SDS-PAGE. Drip loss accumulation (%) was measured after storage for 2 and 7 days postmortem. High-WHC fillets exhibited lower L*-lightness values and greater pH values at 2 and 24 h postmortem than low-WHC fillets. High-WHC fillets had greater brine uptake and less cooking loss at both 6 and 24 h postmortem compared to low-WHC fillets. Aging from 6 to 24 h postmortem increased brine uptake in high-WHC fillets, but did not affect cooking loss in either low-WHC or high-WHC fillets. Drip loss accumulation was greater in low-WHC fillets at both 2 and 7 days postmortem. Myofibrillar protein solubility decreased with postmortem time but was not different between low-WHC and high-WHC fillets. Sarcoplasmic protein solubility increased with postmortem time and was greater in high-WHC fillets. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that low-WHC fillets exhibited more glycogen phosphorylase denaturation than high-WHC fillets as evidenced by a more extensive shift of the protein from the sarcoplasmic to the myofibrillar protein fraction. Correlation analysis revealed that overall protein solubility measurements were not related to WHC attributes but that the degree of glycogen phosphorylase denaturation was significantly correlated (|r| = 0.52 to 0.80) to measures of WHC. Data indicated that WHC differences in broiler breast fillets were not due to differences in myofibrillar protein denaturation and suggested that the denaturation of sarcoplasmic proteins onto myofibrils may influence WHC in breast meat. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

A review of ethylphenidate in deaths in east and west Scotland.

PubMed

Parks, Claire; McKeown, Denise; Torrance, Hazel J

2015-12-01

Ethylphenidate is a psychostimulant and analogue of methylphenidate. Interestingly it is also produced as a metabolite from the co-ingestion of methylphenidate and alcohol (ethanol). In the UK, between April and June 2015, ethylphenidate and 6 other methylphenidate based novel psychoactive substances (NPS) were subjected to a temporary class drug order under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Ethylphenidate is being abused by both novel and habitual drug users, more prominently in the East of Scotland. What is unknown in the literature is the contribution of ethylphenidate in deaths. A search was conducted for an 18 month period (July 2013 to December 2014) to identify cases where ethylphenidate was detected during post-mortem toxicological analysis. Nineteen cases were identified and these cases were examined with regards to case circumstances, pathology findings, toxicology results and adverse effects. The individuals ranged in age from 20 to 54 (median 37) and the majority were male (n=14) and from the East of Scotland (n=16), more specifically Edinburgh and surrounding area. Current or previous heroin abuse was a common theme in these cases (n=16) and injection was a common route of administration of "legal highs" or "burst". The concentration of ethylphenidate in the cases ranged from 0.008 mg/L to over 2 mg/L in post-mortem femoral blood (median 0.25 mg/L, average 0.39 mg/L). Other drugs commonly detected were benzodiazepines (n=15), followed by opiates (n=11, 4 of which were positive for 6-monoacetylmorphine) and then methadone (n=8). All 19 cases received a full post-mortem examination and there were 10 cases where drug toxicity was the sole or potentially contributory factor to the cause of death. Ethylphenidate was specifically mentioned in the cause of death for 5 cases, chronic intravenous (IV) drug use was named as part of the cause of death for 2 cases and in 6 cases there was evidence of complications and infections through IV drug use. As far as it is known to the authors, this is the first review of post-mortem cases involving the use of ethylphenidate in East and West Scotland. This study can be used as a guide for toxicologists and pathologists when interpreting cases which are positive for ethylphenidate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gross pulmonary thrombosis in a greyhound.

PubMed

Baines, E A; Watson, P J; Stidworthy, M F; Herrtage, M E

2001-09-01

A two-year-old greyhound was presented with progressive dyspnoea. Radiography showed a hypovascular lung pattern with hyperlucent lung fields and echocardiography revealed a large thrombus in the main pulmonary artery. Blood results showed azotaemia and marked hypoalbuminaemia. The dog's clinical condition continued to deteriorate and it was euthanased. Postmortem examination confirmed the presence of the pulmonary thrombus and revealed idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis.

A Mutation Affecting the Sodium/Proton Exchanger, "SLC9A6," Causes Mental Retardation with Tau Deposition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garbern, James Y.; Neumann, Manuela; Trojanowski, John Q.; Lee, Virginia M.-Y.; Feldman, Gerald; Norris, Joy W.; Friez, Michael J.; Schwartz, Charles E.; Stevenson, Roger; Sima, Anders A. F.

2010-01-01

We have studied a family with severe mental retardation characterized by the virtual absence of speech, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, late-onset ataxia, weakness and dystonia. Post-mortem examination of two males revealed widespread neuronal loss, with the most striking finding being neuronal and glial tau deposition in a pattern reminiscent…

Nigral dopamine type-1 receptors are reduced in Huntington's disease: A postmortem autoradiographic study using ( sup 3 H)SCH 23390 and correlation with ( sup 3 H)forskolin binding

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Filloux, F.; Wagster, M.V.; Folstein, S.

1990-11-01

Intrastriatal injection of excitatory amino acids, particularly quinolinic acid, has been proposed as an animal model of Huntington's disease. Such neurotoxic lesions of caudate-putamen result in marked dopamine type-1 (D1) receptor losses in the injected nuclei as well as in the ipsilateral substantia nigra pars reticulata. Postmortem human substantia nigra from Huntington's disease brains and from control brains were examined using in vitro autoradiography. A marked reduction in ({sup 3}H)SCH 23390 binding (labeling D1 receptors) in the substantia nigra of postmortem brains of Huntington's patients was identified, thus paralleling the alterations seen in the animal models. A positive, statistically significantmore » correlation was also encountered between D1 receptor binding (labeled by ({sup 3}H)SCH 23390) and ({sup 3}H)forskolin binding (which identifies adenylate cyclase, a second messenger system linked to D1 receptor activation). The results suggest that in the human--as in lower vertebrates--D1 receptors are located on striatonigral terminals and that D1 receptor loss tends to be paralleled by a reduction in adenylate cyclase. Radioactive agents selective for the D1 receptor may prove useful in future studies of Huntington's disease using positron emission tomography scanning.« less

A case of acute subdural hematoma due to ruptured aneurysm detected by postmortem angiography.

PubMed

Inokuchi, Go; Makino, Yohsuke; Yajima, Daisuke; Motomura, Ayumi; Chiba, Fumiko; Torimitsu, Suguru; Hoshioka, Yumi; Iwase, Hirotaro

2016-03-01

Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is mostly caused by head trauma, but intrinsic causes also exist such as aneurysm rupture. We describe here a case involving a man in his 70s who was found lying on the bedroom floor by his family. CT performed at the hospital showed ASDH and a forensic autopsy was requested. Postmortem cerebral angiography showed dilatation of the bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery, which coincided with the dilated part of the Sylvian fissure. Extravasation of contrast medium into the subdural hematoma from this site was suggestive of a ruptured aneurysm. Autopsy revealed a fleshy hematoma (total weight 110 g) in the right subdural space and findings of brain herniation. As indicated on angiography, a ruptured saccular aneurysm was confirmed at the bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery. Obvious injuries to the head or face could not be detected on either external or internal examination, and intrinsic ASDH due to a ruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysm was determined as the cause of death. One of the key points of forensic diagnosis is the strict differentiation between intrinsic and extrinsic onset for conditions leading to death. Although most subdural hematomas (SDH) are caused by extrinsic factors, forensic pathologists should consider the possibility of intrinsic SDH. In addition, postmortem angiography can be useful for identifying vascular lesions in such cases.

Quantifying human decomposition in an indoor setting and implications for postmortem interval estimation.

PubMed

Ceciliason, Ann-Sofie; Andersson, M Gunnar; Lindström, Anders; Sandler, Håkan

2018-02-01

This study's objective is to obtain accuracy and precision in estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) for decomposing human remains discovered in indoor settings. Data were collected prospectively from 140 forensic cases with a known date of death, scored according to the Total Body Score (TBS) scale at the post-mortem examination. In our model setting, it is estimated that, in cases with or without the presence of blowfly larvae, approximately 45% or 66% respectively, of the variance in TBS can be derived from Accumulated Degree-Days (ADD). The precision in estimating ADD/PMI from TBS is, in our setting, moderate to low. However, dividing the cases into defined subgroups suggests the possibility to increase the precision of the model. Our findings also suggest a significant seasonal difference with concomitant influence on TBS in the complete data set, possibly initiated by the presence of insect activity mainly during summer. PMI may be underestimated in cases with presence of desiccation. Likewise, there is a need for evaluating the effect of insect activity, to avoid overestimating the PMI. Our data sample indicates that the scoring method might need to be slightly modified to better reflect indoor decomposition, especially in cases with insect infestations or/and extensive desiccation. When applying TBS in an indoor setting, the model requires distinct inclusion criteria and a defined population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transmission Electron Microscope In Situ Straining Technique to Directly Observe Defects and Interfaces During Deformation in Magnesium

DOE PAGES

Morrow, Benjamin M.; Cerreta, E. K.; McCabe, R. J.; ...

2015-05-14

In-situ straining was used to study deformation behavior of hexagonal close-packed (hcp) metals.Twinning and dislocation motion, both essential to plasticity in hcp materials, were observed.Typically, these processes are characterized post-mortem by examining remnant microstructural features after straining has occurred. By imposing deformation during imaging, direct observation of active deformation mechanisms is possible. This work focuses on straining of structural metals in a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and a recently developed technique that utilizes familiar procedures and equipment to increase ease of experiments. In-situ straining in a TEM presents several advantages over conventional post-mortem characterization, most notably time-resolution of deformation andmore » streamlined identification of active deformation mechanisms. Drawbacks to the technique and applicability to other studies are also addressed. In-situ straining is used to study twin boundary motion in hcp magnesium. A {101¯2} twin was observed during tensile and compressive loading. Twin-dislocation interactions are directly observed. Notably, dislocations are observed to remain mobile, even after multiple interactions with twin boundaries, a result which suggests that Basinki’s dislocation transformation mechanism by twinning is not present in hcp metals. The coupling of in-situ straining with traditional post-mortem characterization yields more detailed information about material behavior during deformation than either technique alone.« less

The Gini coefficient: a methodological pilot study to assess fetal brain development employing postmortem diffusion MRI.

PubMed

Viehweger, Adrian; Riffert, Till; Dhital, Bibek; Knösche, Thomas R; Anwander, Alfred; Stepan, Holger; Sorge, Ina; Hirsch, Wolfgang

2014-10-01

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is important in the assessment of fetal brain development. However, it is clinically challenging and time-consuming to prepare neuromorphological examinations to assess real brain age and to detect abnormalities. To demonstrate that the Gini coefficient can be a simple, intuitive parameter for modelling fetal brain development. Postmortem fetal specimens(n = 28) were evaluated by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) on a 3-T MRI scanner using 60 directions, 0.7-mm isotropic voxels and b-values of 0, 150, 1,600 s/mm(2). Constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) was used as the local diffusion model. Fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and complexity (CX) maps were generated. CX was defined as a novel diffusion metric. On the basis of those three parameters, the Gini coefficient was calculated. Study of fetal brain development in postmortem specimens was feasible using DWI. The Gini coefficient could be calculated for the combination of the three diffusion parameters. This multidimensional Gini coefficient correlated well with age (Adjusted R(2) = 0.59) between the ages of 17 and 26 gestational weeks. We propose a new method that uses an economics concept, the Gini coefficient, to describe the whole brain with one simple and intuitive measure, which can be used to assess the brain's developmental state.

Heparan sulfate deficiency in autistic postmortem brain tissue from the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles.

PubMed

Pearson, Brandon L; Corley, Michael J; Vasconcellos, Amy; Blanchard, D Caroline; Blanchard, Robert J

2013-04-15

Abnormal cellular growth and organization have been characterized in postmortem tissue from brains of autistic individuals, suggestive of pathology in a critical neurogenic niche, the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the brain lateral ventricles (LV). We examined cellular organization, cell proliferation, and constituents of the extracellular matrix such as N-sulfated heparan sulfate (HS) and laminin (LAM) in postmortem brain tissue from the LV-SVZ of young to elderly individuals with autism (n=4) and age-matched typically developing (TD) individuals (n=4) using immunofluorescence techniques. Strong and systematic reductions in HS immunofluorescence were observed in the LV-SVZ of the TD individuals with increasing age. For young through mature, but not elderly, autistic pair members, HS was reduced compared to their matched TDs. Cellular proliferation (Ki67+) was higher in the autistic individual of the youngest age-matched pair. These preliminary data suggesting that HS may be reduced in young to mature autistic individuals are in agreement with previous findings from the BTBR T+tf/J mouse, an animal model of autism; from mice with genetic modifications reducing HS; and with genetic variants in HS-related genes in autism. They suggest that aberrant extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycan function localized to the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles may be a biomarker for autism, and potentially involved in the etiology of the disorder. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extrahepatic biliary atresia in a border collie.

PubMed

Schulze, C; Rothuizen, J; van Sluijs, F J; Hazewinkel, H A; van den Ingh, T S

2000-01-01

Progressive lameness and leg pain were the predominant clinical signs in a 17-week-old male border collie presented for examination. On clinical investigation, extrahepatic cholestasis in association with rickets due to inadequate vitamin D resorption was diagnosed. The dog was treated parenterally with vitamin D and a cholecystoduodenostomy was performed. At 25 days postsurgery the lameness had resolved and bone structure was radiographically normal. However, at six weeks postsurgery, the dog's condition deteriorated rapidly and euthanasia was finally performed at eight weeks postsurgery. At postmortem examination, Toxocara canis nematodes were found to have invaded the biliary system via the anastomosis between the gallbladder and duodenum, causing biliary and hepatic toxocariasis. The cause of the primary extrahepatic cholestasis was atresia of the common bile duct at the hepatic end. The liver tissue showed microscopic lesions of chronic extrahepatic cholestasis as well as acute inflammation associated with the nematode invasion. There was no postmortem evidence of bone lesions. Extrahepatic biliary atresia is extremely rare in animals and has not been described before in dogs. In contrast, it represents the most common cause of congenital cholestasis in children, occurring in approximately one per 10,000 to 15,000 live births.

Knowledge, competencies and attitudes regarding external post-mortem physical examination: A survey among German post-graduate trainees in general practice.

PubMed

Valentini, Jan; Goetz, Katja; Yen, Kathrin; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Dettling, Andrea; Joos, Stefanie; Steinhaeuser, Jost; Flum, Elisabeth

2018-12-01

The external post-mortem examination (EPME) is an important medical, legal and socio-economic task with far-reaching relevance; however, due to discrepancies between findings from EPMEs and actual cause of death, improvements in accuracy and quality are needed. To investigate knowledge, competencies and attitudes regarding EPME in general practitioner (GP) post-graduate trainees. Before four post-graduate training courses on the EPME for general practitioner trainees, organized in 2014 in the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, a questionnaire on the EPME was distributed by the lecturer, completed by the GP post-graduate trainees and returned to the lecturer. The questionnaire consisted of 19 items related to three main categories: knowledge, competencies and attitudes. Out of 380 GP post-graduate trainees, 128 completed and returned the questionnaire (response rate 33.7%). Less than 18% felt adequately confident in identifying a natural cause of death and less than 5% felt adequately confident in identifying an unnatural cause of death. Only 33% consistently fully uncover the corpse for the EPME. We found an important uncertainty in GP post-graduate trainees regarding their EPME knowledge and competencies.

Bluetongue disease and seroprevalence in South American camelids from the northwestern region of the United States.

PubMed

Allen, Andrew J; Stanton, James B; Evermann, James F; Fry, Lindsay M; Ackerman, Melissa G; Barrington, George M

2015-03-01

In late summer/early fall of 2013, 2 South American camelids from central Washington were diagnosed with fatal bluetongue viral disease, an event which is rarely reported. A 9-year-old intact male llama (Lama glama), with a 1-day history of anorexia, recumbency, and dyspnea before death. Abundant foam discharged from the mouth and nostrils, and the lungs were severely edematous on postmortem examination. Histologically, there was abundant intra-alveolar edema with fibrin. Hemorrhage and edema disrupted several other organs. Bluetongue viral RNA was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and serotype 11 was identified by sequencing a segment of the VP2 outer capsid gene. Approximately 1 month later, at a site 150 miles north of the index case, a 2-year-old female alpaca with similar, acutely progressive clinical signs was reported. A postmortem examination was performed, and histologic lesions from the alpaca were similar to those of the llama, and again serotype 11 was detected by PCR. The occurrence of bluetongue viral infection and disease is described in the context of seasonal Bluetongue virus activity within the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. © 2015 The Author(s).

Prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in slaughter cattle in Kenya: a postmortem, microbiological and DNA molecular study.

PubMed

Gathogo, Stephen M; Kuria, Joseph K N; Ombui, Jackson N

2012-10-01

A study to determine the presence and prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in slaughter cattle in Kenya was carried out in two abattoirs from July to November 2009. Routine postmortem meat inspection was performed on a subpopulation of 929 cattle selected randomly from among 4,984. Carcases were inspected for gross tuberculous lesions which were then examined for acid-fast bacilli, (AFB), cultured for isolation of mycobacteria and the isolates characterised by DNA molecular analysis. Of the carcases examined, 176 (18.95 %, 95 % CI) had lesions suggestive of tuberculosis. AFB were observed in 63/176 of the lesioned cattle and mycobacteria were isolated from 64 of them. The isolates were identified as Mycobacterium bovis (19/64), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, (2/64) and mycobacteria other than tuberculosis (43/64). The prevalence of M. bovis by molecular analysis was 2.05 % (95 % CI). This study documents for the first time the presence of bovine tuberculosis among slaughter cattle in Kenya. There is therefore a need to formulate and implement control programmes in order to minimise transmission among animals and to humans. Isolation of M. tuberculosis from cattle underscores the risk tuberculous humans pose to animals.

Sarcoma of the thyroid region mimicking Riedel's thyroiditis

PubMed Central

Torres-Montaner, A; Beltran, M; d Romero; Oliva, H

2001-01-01

Because sarcomas of the anterior lower neck region occur so infrequently, they are not usually considered in the differential diagnosis of Riedel's thyroiditis. Riedel's thyroiditis itself may be confused on clinical grounds alone with malignant neoplasms because of its invasive features. Sarcomatoid carcinoma is the main entity to be discarded in this regard. This is accomplished through histological examination by the finding of carcinomatous areas and/or reactivity with epithelial markers. These features also set apart sarcomatoid carcinoma from true sarcomas. This report concerns a patient with a sarcoma of the anterior lower neck region which was initially suspected to be Riedel's thyroiditis or sarcomatoid carcinoma on clinical and radiological grounds. A peroperative biopsy was interpreted by two independent pathologists as consistent with Riedel's thyroiditis. The subsequent clinical course and postmortem examination demonstrated a high grade sarcoma with metastasis to both lungs and the pleura, and invasion of adjacent neck structures. Nevertheless, some areas of the postmortem material showed a microscopic pattern similar to mediastinal fibrosis, raising the possibility of the malignant transformation of a fibrosclerotic lesion. Key Words: Riedel's thyroiditis • sarcomatoid carcinoma • fibrous histiocytoma • differential diagnosis PMID:11429435

A Comparison of Dental Chartings Performed at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command Central Identification Laboratory and the Kokura Central Identification Unit on Remains Identified from the Korean War.

PubMed

Shiroma, Calvin Y

2016-01-01

During the Korean War, the Office of the Quartermaster General's Graves Registration Service (GRS) was responsible for the recovery, processing, identification, and repatriation of US remains. In January 1951, the GRS established a Central Identification Unit (CIU) at Kokura, Japan. At the Kokura CIU, postmortem dental examinations were performed by the dental technicians. Thirty-nine postmortem dental examinations performed at the CIU were compared to the findings documented in the Forensic Odontology Reports written at the JPAC Central Identification Laboratory (CIL). Differences were noted in 20 comparisons (51%). The majority of the discrepancies was considered negligible and would not alter the JPAC decision to disinter a set of unknown remains. Charting discrepancies that were considered significant included the occasional failure of the Kokura technicians to identify teeth with inter-proximal or esthetic restorations and the misidentification of a mechanically prepared tooth (i.e., tooth prepared for a restoration) as a carious surface. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Combined evaluation of commonly used techniques, including PCR, for diagnosis of mouse fur mites.

PubMed

Karlsson, Eleanor M; Pearson, Laura M; Kuzma, Kristen M; Burkholder, Tanya H

2014-01-01

Our study evaluated and compared the false-negative rates (FNR) of a wide array of fur-mite diagnostic tests, including 2 postmortem tests (pelt exam and sticky paper) and 3 antemortem tests (adhesive tape, fur pluck, and PCR). Past publications examining fur-mite diagnostic techniques primarily used paired comparisons, evaluating tests by their level of agreement with only one other test. However, different combinations or pairs of diagnostics are used in the different studies, making the results of these comparisons difficult to interpret across all available diagnostics. In the current study, mice from a conventionally maintained colony endemic for Myobia musculi were identified as positive based on at least one positive diagnostic test. From this pool of positive animals, the FNR of all tests were quantified. The PCR assay and the pelt exam performed the best, with 0% and 2% FNR respectively, whereas tape, fur-pluck, and sticky-paper tests showed 24%, 26%, and 36% FNR, respectively. Our study shows that for mice in a colony naturally infested with Myobia musculi, PCR testing can be used for reliable antemortem detection, and pelt exam performed by experienced examiners is reliable for postmortem detection.

Detection of the source of hemorrhage using postmortem computerized tomographic angiography in a case of a giant juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma after surgical treatment.

PubMed

do Nascimento, Felipe Barjud Pereira; dos Santos, Glaucia Aparecida Bento; Melo, Nelson Almeida d'Ávila; Damasceno, Eduarda Bittencourt; Mauad, Thais

2015-09-01

Postmortem computerized tomographic angiography (PMCTA) has been increasingly used in forensic medicine to detect and locate the source of bleeding in cases of fatal acute hemorrhage. In this paper, we report a case of postoperative complication in a patient with a giant juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma in which the source of bleeding was detected by PMCTA. A case description and evaluations of the pre- and postoperative exams, postmortem CT angiogram, and conventional autopsy results are provided. The source of bleeding was identified by postmortem CT angiography but not by conventional autopsy. The established protocol, injecting contrast medium into the femoral artery, was effective in identifying the source of bleeding. Postoperative bleeding is a rare and frequently fatal complication of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. As a complement to conventional autopsy, postmortem angiography is a valuable tool for the detection of lethal acute hemorrhagic foci, and establishing a routine procedure for PMCTA may improve its efficiency.

Crack propagation in teeth: a comparison of perimortem and postmortem behavior of dental materials and cracks.

PubMed

Hughes, Cris E; White, Crystal A

2009-03-01

This study presents a new method for understanding postmortem heat-induced crack propagation patterns in teeth. The results demonstrate that patterns of postmortem heat-induced crack propagation differ from perimortem and antemortem trauma-induced crack propagation patterns. Dental material of the postmortem tooth undergoes dehydration leading to a shrinking and more brittle dentin material and a weaker dentin-enamel junction. Dentin intertubule tensile stresses are amplified by the presence of the pulp cavity, and initiates crack propagation from the internal dentin, through the dentin-enamel junction and lastly the enamel. In contrast, in vivo perimortem and antemortem trauma-induced crack propagation initiates cracking from the external surface of the enamel toward the dentin-enamel junction where the majority of the energy of the crack is dissipated, eliminating the crack's progress into the dentin. These unique patterns of crack propagation can be used to differentiate postmortem taphonomy-induced damage from antemortem and perimortem trauma in teeth.

Fatal fentanyl patch misuse in a hospitalized patient with a postmortem increase in fentanyl blood concentration.

PubMed

Moore, Philip W; Palmer, Robert B; Donovan, Joseph Ward

2015-01-01

Opioid-related mortality happens, even in healthcare settings. We describe serial postmortem fentanyl blood concentrations in a hospital inpatient who fatally abused transdermal fentanyl. This is a single-patient case report. A 42-year-old man with lymphoma was started on transdermal fentanyl therapy while hospitalized for chronic abdominal pain. The patient was last seen awake 1.3 h prior to being found apneic and cyanotic. During the resuscitation attempt, a small square-shaped film was removed from the patient's oropharynx. Femoral blood was collected 0.5 and 2 h postmortem, and the measured fentanyl concentration increased from 1.6 to 14 ng/mL. Study limitations include potential laboratory or collection errors and missing data. (i) Providers must be vigilant for signs of fentanyl patch abuse. (ii) Postmortem blood concentrations are not static postmortem, likely secondary to decreasing pH, increased aqueous solubility, and tissue redistribution, and are therefore unlikely to accurately represent antemortem blood concentrations. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Gastrointestinal Functionality of Aquatic Animal (Oreochromis niloticus) Carcass in Water Allows Estimating Time of Death.

PubMed

Hahor, Waraporn; Thongprajukaew, Karun; Yoonram, Krueawan; Rodjaroen, Somrak

2016-11-01

Postmortem changes have been previously studied in some terrestrial animal models, but no prior information is available on aquatic species. Gastrointestinal functionality was investigated in terms of indices, protein concentration, digestive enzyme activity, and scavenging activity, in an aquatic animal model, Nile tilapia, to assess the postmortem changes. Dead fish were floated indoors, and samples were collected within 48 h after death. Stomasomatic index decreased with postmortem time and correlated positively with protein, pepsin-specific activity, and stomach scavenging activity. Also intestosomatic index decreased significantly and correlated positively with protein, specific activity of trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase, lipase, and intestinal scavenging activity. In their postmortem changes, the digestive enzymes exhibited earlier lipid degradation than carbohydrate or protein. The intestine changed more rapidly than the stomach. The findings suggest that the postmortem changes of gastrointestinal functionality can serve as primary data for the estimation of time of death of an aquatic animal. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Sealing Penetrating Eye Injuries Using Photoactivated Bonding

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-30

on  corneal tissue. To evaluate inflammation all 15 rabbits will be euthanized with  phenobarbital . The  10 corneoscleral button of tissue will be...will be euthanized with  phenobarbital . The  corneoscleral button of tissue will be removed and divided into portions for paraffin and frozen sections

Services to Operate and Maintain Walter Reed Army Institute of Research’s (WRAIR) Microwave Facility.

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-06-20

Sixty-four day old rats were euthanized individually in a polycarbonate cage with carbon dioxide from a 100 % carbon dioxide cylinder. Eyes were removed...grams were used. Rats were euthanized with carbon dioxide . A thermistor based temperature probe (Yellow Spring Instruments, YSI 423) was inserted 5 cm...gals). This has been a necessary procedure which evacuates carbon from the oil which in turn will build-up on the HV components and conductors in the

Effectiveness of a nonpenetrating captive bolt for euthanasia of 3 kg to 9 kg pigs.

PubMed

Casey-Trott, T M; Millman, S T; Turner, P V; Nykamp, S G; Lawlis, P C; Widowski, T M

2014-11-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a nonpenetrating captive bolt, Zephyr-E, for euthanasia of suckling and weaned pigs from 3 to 9 kg (5-49 d of age) using signs of insensibility and death as well as postmortem assessment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Zephyr-E was used by 15 stock people to euthanize 150 compromised pigs from 4 farrowing and nursery units from commercial farms and 2 research stations. Brainstem reflexes, convulsions, and heartbeat were used to assess insensibility, time of brain death, and cardiac arrest following Zephyr-E application. Skull fracture displacement (FD) was quantified from computed tomography (CT) scans (n = 24), macroscopic scoring was used to assess brain hemorrhage and skull fracture severity (n = 150), and microscopic scoring was used to assess subdural hemorrhage (SDH) and parenchymal hemorrhage within specific brain regions that are responsible for consciousness and vital function (n = 32). The Zephyr-E caused immediate, sustained insensibility until death in 98.6% of pigs. On average, clonic convulsions (CC) ceased in 82.2 s (± 3.4 SE), brain death was achieved in 144.9 s (± 5.4 SE), and cardiac arrest occurred in 226.5 s (± 8.7 SE). Time of brain death and cardiac arrest differed significantly among stock people (P = 0.0225 and P = 0.0369). Age was positively related to the duration of CC (P = 0.0092), time of brain death (P = 0.0025), and cardiac arrest (P = 0.0068) with shorter durations seen in younger pigs. Average FD was 8.3 mm (± 1.0 SE). Macroscopic scores were significantly different among weight classes for subcutaneous (P = 0.0402) and subdural-ventral (P = 0.0037) hemorrhage with the lowest severity hemorrhage found in the 9-kg weight category. Microscopic scores differed among brain sections (P = 0.0070) for SDH with lower scores found in the brainstem compared to the cerebral cortex and midbrain. Parenchymal hemorrhage differed among brain sections (P = 0.0052) and weight categories (P = 0.0128) with the lowest scores in the midbrain and brainstem and the 7- and 9-kg weight categories. The Zephyr-E was highly effective for the euthanasia of pigs up to 9 kg (49 d) based on immediate insensibility sustained until death. Postmortem results confirmed that severe skull fracture and widespread brain hemorrhage were caused by the Zephyr-E nonpenetrating captive bolt.

Evaluation of Two Models of Non-Penetrating Captive Bolt Devices for On-Farm Euthanasia of Turkeys

PubMed Central

Woolcott, Caitlin R.; Torrey, Stephanie; Serpa, Lilia; Schwean-Lardner, Karen; Widowski, Tina M.

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Animal care guidelines for livestock and poultry require farms to have euthanasia plans in place for birds that are sick, injured, or unable to access feed and water. Killing methods considered to be humane are those that induce rapid insensibility (stun) and result in brain death leading to irreversible respiratory and cardiac arrest. Therefore, the evaluation of the effectiveness of a killing method generally focuses on measures of insensibility and brain death. Non-penetrating captive bolt devices are intended to deliver sufficient force and energy to the head to result in immediate insensibility and brain death without penetrating the skin. We evaluated the effectiveness of two models of non-penetrating captive bolt devices when applied by stock people to different sizes and ages of turkeys, using signs of insensibility corroborated by ante- and post- mortem evaluation of brain damage. Both non-penetrating captive bolt devices used in this study were found to be highly effective at inducing immediate insensibility and would be appropriate for on-farm euthanasia of turkeys of various ages and size. Abstract On-farm euthanasia is a critical welfare issue in the poultry industry and can be particularly difficult to perform on mature turkeys due to their size. We evaluated the efficacy of two commercially available non-penetrating captive bolt devices, the Zephyr-EXL and the Turkey Euthanasia Device (TED), on 253 turkeys at three stages of production: 4–5, 10, and 15–20 weeks of age. Effectiveness of each device was measured using both ante- and post-mortem measures. Application of the Zephyr-EXL resulted in a greater success rate (immediate abolishment of brainstem reflexes) compared to the TED (97.6% vs. 89.3%, p = 0.0145). Times to last movement (p = 0.102) and cardiac arrest (p = 0.164) did not differ between devices. Ante- and post-mortem measures of trauma and hemorrhage were highly correlated. Skull fractures and gross subdural hemorrhage (SDH) were present in 100% of birds euthanized with both the Zephyr-EXL and TED devices. Gross SDH scores were greater in birds killed with the Zephyr-EXL than the TED (p < 0.001). Microscopic SDH scores indicated moderate to severe hemorrhage in 92% of turkeys for the Zephyr-EXL and 96% of turkeys for the TED, with no difference between devices (p = 0.844). Overall, both devices were highly effective inducing immediate insensibility through traumatic brain injury and are reliable, single-step methods for on-farm euthanasia of turkeys. PMID:29558419

Postmortem Concentrations of Tramadol and O-Desmethyltramadol in 11 Aviation Accident Fatalities

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

Crump University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK 73034 December 2010 Final Report Postmortem Concentrations of Tramadol and O-Desmethyltramadol in...Subtitle 5. Report Date Postmortem Concentrations of Tramadol and O-Desmethyltramadol in 11 Aviation Accident Fatalities December 2010 6. Performing...This work was accomplished under the approved task AM-B-10-TOX-204. 16. Abstract Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic used to treat moderate

Postmortem computed tomography findings in suicide victims.

PubMed

Garetier, M; Deloire, L; Dédouit, F; Dumousset, E; Saccardy, C; Ben Salem, D

2017-02-01

Suicide is the eighth cause of mortality in France and the leading cause in people aged between 25 and 34 years. The most common methods of suicide are hanging, self-poisoning with medicines and firearms. Postmortem computed tomography (CT) is a useful adjunct to autopsy to confirm suicide and exclude other causes of death. At autopsy, fractures of the hyoid bone or thyroid cartilage, or both, are found in more than 50% of suicidal hangings. Cervical vertebra fractures are rare and only seen in suicide victims jumping from a great height. Three-dimensional reconstructions from CT data are useful to visualize the ligature mark on the neck. In suicides by firearm, postmortem CT shows entry and exit wounds, parenchymal lesions along the bullet path, as well as projectiles in case of penetrating trauma. However, in the chest and abdomen it is more difficult to identify the path of the projectile. Postmortem CT also shows specific features of suicide by drowning or stabbing, but its use is limited in cases of self-poisoning. The use of postmortem CT is also limited by decomposition and change of body position. This article presents the imaging features seen on postmortem CT according to the method of suicide. Copyright © 2016 Éditions françaises de radiologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Influence of porcine circovirus type 2 vaccination on the probability and severity of pneumonia detected postmortem.

PubMed

Raith, J; Kuchling, S; Schleicher, C; Schobesberger, H; Köfer, J

2015-01-31

To evaluate the influence of porcine circovirus type 2 vaccination (PCV-2) on the probability and severity of pneumonia, postmortem findings of 247,505 pigs slaughtered between 2008 and 2011 were analysed by applying a cumulative link mixed model. Three major effects could be observed: (1) PCV-2 vaccination significantly (P<0.01) reduced the odds (coefficient: -0.05) of postmortem findings of mild, moderate and severe pneumonia for vaccinated pigs. (2) Pigs from fattening farms were less likely (coefficient: -0.44; P<0.05) to exhibit signs of pneumonia at slaughter than pigs from farrow-to-finish farms. (3) When vaccinated, the odds of detecting postmortem signs showed an even more pronounced reduction (coefficient: -0.19; P<0.001) for pigs from fattening farms. Combining PCV-2 vaccination, farm type and interaction effects between these two factors, a pig vaccinated against PCV-2 from a fattening farm had only half the chance (OR 0.51) of pneumonia being detected at postmortem than a non-vaccinated pig from a farrow-to-finish farm. The study demonstrates the benefit of a vaccination programme against PCV-2 as an important tool to reduce the risk of postmortem pneumonia findings and the severity of pneumonia in pigs at slaughter. British Veterinary Association.

Influence of porcine circovirus type 2 vaccination on the probability and severity of pneumonia detected postmortem

PubMed Central

Raith, J.; Kuchling, S.; Schleicher, C.; Schobesberger, H.; Köfer, J.

2015-01-01

To evaluate the influence of porcine circovirus type 2 vaccination (PCV-2) on the probability and severity of pneumonia, postmortem findings of 247,505 pigs slaughtered between 2008 and 2011 were analysed by applying a cumulative link mixed model. Three major effects could be observed: (1) PCV-2 vaccination significantly (P<0.01) reduced the odds (coefficient: −0.05) of postmortem findings of mild, moderate and severe pneumonia for vaccinated pigs. (2) Pigs from fattening farms were less likely (coefficient: −0.44; P<0.05) to exhibit signs of pneumonia at slaughter than pigs from farrow-to-finish farms. (3) When vaccinated, the odds of detecting postmortem signs showed an even more pronounced reduction (coefficient: −0.19; P<0.001) for pigs from fattening farms. Combining PCV-2 vaccination, farm type and interaction effects between these two factors, a pig vaccinated against PCV-2 from a fattening farm had only half the chance (OR 0.51) of pneumonia being detected at postmortem than a non-vaccinated pig from a farrow-to-finish farm. The study demonstrates the benefit of a vaccination programme against PCV-2 as an important tool to reduce the risk of postmortem pneumonia findings and the severity of pneumonia in pigs at slaughter. PMID:25413158

The benefits and pitfalls of post-mortem computed tomography in forensic external examination: A retrospective study of 145 cases.

PubMed

Willaume, Thibault; Farrugia, Audrey; Kieffer, Estelle-Marie; Charton, Jeanne; Geraut, Annie; Berthelon, Laurent; Bierry, Guillaume; Raul, Jean-Sébastien

2018-05-01

Nowadays, post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) has become an integral part of Forensic practice. The purpose of the study was to determine PMCT impact on diagnosis of the cause of death within the context of the external examination of the body, when autopsy has, at first, not been requested. We reviewed the records of 145 cases for which unenhanced PMCT was performed in addition to the external examination of the body from January 2014 to July 2015 at the Institute of Forensic medicine in Strasbourg (France). We confronted final reports from forensic pathologist to the corresponding PMCT reports. Data were collected in a contingency table and the impact of PMCT on the final conclusions of the forensic pathologist was evaluated via a Chi 2 test. PMCT results significantly impact the final conclusions of forensic pathologist (p<0,001). In some cases, PMCT permits etiological diagnosis by revealing a cause of death hidden from external examination (mainly natural death) or by supporting the clinical findings of the forensic pathologist. In other cases (traumatic death), PMCT enables fast and exhaustive lesion assessment. Lastly, there are situations where PMCT may be ineffective (intoxication, hanging or some natural deaths). Performing PMCT within the context of the external examination of the body when autopsy has, at first, not been requested could bring significant benefits in diagnosing the cause of death. The impact of PMCT varies depending on the circumstances of death. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In Vivo Evidence of Reduced Integrity of the Gray-White Matter Boundary in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Andrews, Derek Sayre; Avino, Thomas A; Gudbrandsen, Maria; Daly, Eileen; Marquand, Andre; Murphy, Clodagh M; Lai, Meng-Chuan; Lombardo, Michael V; Ruigrok, Amber N V; Williams, Steven C; Bullmore, Edward T; The Mrc Aims Consortium; Suckling, John; Baron-Cohen, Simon; Craig, Michael C; Murphy, Declan G M; Ecker, Christine

2017-02-01

Atypical cortical organization and reduced integrity of the gray-white matter boundary have been reported by postmortem studies in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there are no in vivo studies that examine these particular features of cortical organization in ASD. Hence, we used structural magnetic resonance imaging to examine differences in tissue contrast between gray and white matter in 98 adults with ASD and 98 typically developing controls, to test the hypothesis that individuals with ASD have significantly reduced tissue contrast. More specifically, we examined contrast as a percentage between gray and white matter tissue signal intensities (GWPC) sampled at the gray-white matter boundary, and across different cortical layers. We found that individuals with ASD had significantly reduced GWPC in several clusters throughout the cortex (cluster, P < 0.05). As expected, these reductions were greatest when tissue intensities were sampled close to gray-white matter interface, which indicates a less distinct gray-white matter boundary in ASD. Our in vivo findings of reduced GWPC in ASD are therefore consistent with prior postmortem findings of a less well-defined gray-white matter boundary in ASD. Taken together, these results indicate that GWPC might be utilized as an in vivo proxy measure of atypical cortical microstructural organization in future studies. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Prevalence and financial effects of hydatidosis in cattle slaughtered in Birre-Sheleko and Dangila Abattoirs, Northwestern Ethiopia.

PubMed

Kebede, N; Gebre-Egziabher, Z; Tilahun, G; Wossene, A

2011-02-01

A cross-sectional survey of bovine hydatidosis was carried out on local zebu cattle slaughtered at Birre-Sheleko and Dangila Abattoirs from August 2007 to July 2008 to determine the prevalence and to estimate financial loss caused by the disease. Postmortem examination, hydatid cyst characterization and direct and indirect financial loss estimations were conducted. Out of the total of 521 animals examined (255 Birre-Sheleko and 266 Dangila), 79 (15.2%) were found harbouring one or more hydatid cyst. The prevalence of the disease between the two abattoirs was not significantly different (P > 0.05). The result obtained from postmortem examination indicated that a total of 112 visceral organs were found harbouring one or more hydatid cysts. The involvement of lung, liver, spleen and kidney was found to be 70.5%, 21.4%, 6.3% and 1.8% respectively. From the total of 224 cysts counted, 147 (65.6%), 29 (12.9%), 3 (1.3%) and 45 (20.1%) were small, medium, large and calcified cysts respectively, and 114 (50.9%) and 65 (29%) were sterile and fertile cysts respectively. Viability rate of 47.7%, all from the lungs, and higher liver calcification rate were observed. The annual financial loss from organ condemnation and carcass weight loss due to bovine hydatidosis at Birre-Sheleko and Dangila abattoirs were estimated to be $18911.6. © 2009 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The use of histology in 638 coronial post-mortem examinations of adults: an audit.

PubMed

Langlois, Neil E I

2006-10-01

An audit was performed to determine the effectiveness of histological sampling of forensic post-mortem cases based on a review of three years' data, which comprised 638 adult autopsy cases. During the study period organs and tissues that appeared macroscopically normal and abnormal were extensively sampled. Histology was regarded as in some way contributory (providing, altering or confirming a cause of death) 53% of the time. The use of histology provided the cause of death in 49 (24%) of the 203 cases not given a cause of death after the completion of the macroscopic examination. When an interim cause of death had been supplied following the completion of the gross examination it was changed in 4.8% of cases, but there were no changes of the manner of death. The majority of the histological diagnoses or discrepancies involved the lungs and the heart. All diagnoses relevant to determining the cause of death would have been made if samples had been taken only from the left ventricle, right ventricle, coronary arteries, lungs, kidneys and brain with any tissue or organ that appeared abnormal macroscopically. A macroscopically identified abnormality that appeared to have been responsible for death was not sampled in 20 cases; consequently, more attention will be paid to sampling macroscopically abnormal tissues. As a result of this audit histology sampling practice has been revised and will be re-audited in the future.

Development of Choroidal Neovascularization in rats with Advanced Intense Cyclic Light-induced Retinal Degeneration

PubMed Central

Albert, Daniel M.; Neekhra, Aneesh; Wang, Shoujian; Darjatmoko, Soesiawati R.; Sorenson, Christine M.; Dubielzig, Richard R.; Sheibani, Nader

2010-01-01

Objective To study the progressive changes of intense cyclic light-induced retinal degeneration and determine whether it results in choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Methods Albino rats were exposed to 12 h of 3000 lux cyclic light for 1, 3, or 6 months. Prior to euthanization, fundus examination, fundus photographs, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) evaluations were performed. Light exposed animals were euthanized after 1, 3, or 6 months for histopathological evaluation. Retinas were examined for the presence of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and nitrotyrosine modified proteins by immunofluorescence staining. Results Chronic intense cyclic light exposure resulted in retinal degeneration with loss of the outer segments of photoreceptors and approximately two-thirds of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and development of sub-retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) neovascularization after 1 month. Almost the entire ONL was absent with the presence of CNV, which penetrated Bruch’s membrane and extended into the outer retina after 3 months. Absence of the ONL, multiple foci of CNV, RPE fibrous metaplasia, and connective tissue bands containing blood vessels extending into the retina were observed after 6 months. All intense light exposed animals showed an increased presence of HNE and nitrotyrosine staining. OCT and angiographic studies confirmed retinal thinning and leakiness of the newly fromed blood vessels. Conclusions Our results suggest albino rats develop progressive stages of retinal degeneration and CNV after chronic intense cyclic light exposure allowing the detailed study of the pathogenesis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration. PMID:20142545

[Biochemical measurements of glucose metabolism in relation to cause of death and postmortem effects].

PubMed

Kernbach, G; Püschel, K; Brinkmann, B

1986-01-01

This study was performed to examine the relationship between postmortem biochemical values and cause of death. The follow samples were taken from 399 corpses: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF; n = 376, suboccipital), blood (n = 158, femoral vein), and urine (n = 101, at autopsy). (See Table 1 for causes of death) All samples were stored at -80 degrees C. A further 100 samples of blood were later taken and stored at +4 degrees C before testing. Biochemical determinations made were: glucose in CSF, blood, and urine (hexokinase method); lactate (LDH/GPT) and free acetone (HS-gas chromatography) in CSF; hemoglobin A1 in blood (microcolumn technique). In 34 cases fatal diabetic coma was considered verified by morphological and chemical findings. One hundred cases of sudden cardiac death were chosen as the main control group. In 32 of the 34 cases defined above, the value of the formula of Traub (glucose + lactate in CSF) exceeded 415 mg/dl. It is not influenced significantly by hyperglycemia or hyperlactatemia due to factors other than diabetes (i.e., carbon monoxide, asphyxia). After death the value rose till the 30th hpm, then remained stable for at least 1 week. Fatal coma was defined as the ketoacidotic form if free acetone in CSF ranged above 21 mg/l. In these cases, CSF glucose and free acetone correlated positively. Hemoglobin A1 remained stable after death. Its amount was independent from postmortem blood glucose, postmortem interval and total hemoglobin. Furthermore, the manner of storage (-80 degrees or +4 degrees C) had no significant influence on its values. In 29 of 34 cases of fatal coma, Hb A1 exceeded 12.1%. Analysis of urine glucose showed elevated levels (over 500 mg/dl) in diabetic comas. On conclusion, fatal diabetic coma seems indicated as the cause of death if measured values of postmortem biochemistry exceed the following limits: CSF-Traub 415 mg/dl, free acetone (CSF) 21 mg/l; Hb A1 12.1%; urine glucose 500 mg/dl. Most important are the Traub formula and hemoglobin A1. Usually, in fatal coma both values are elevated. If both of them are normal, diabetic coma can nearly be excluded. Combined evaluation of all values is absolutely necessary. Morphology must also always be taken into account. Consequently, a diagnosis of fatal coma can be obtained by a process of elimination.

An assessment of condemnations of broiler chicken carcasses.

PubMed Central

Bisaillon, J R; Meek, A H; Feltmate, T E

1988-01-01

An epidemiological study was conducted to assess the rates of condemnation and the diagnoses made on condemned broiler chicken carcasses in a federally-inspected abattoir. The first objective was to determine the predictive value of a positive test: the proportion of birds that were truly unfit for human consumption among condemned carcasses. The second objective was to assess the degree of agreement between diagnoses made in the abattoir and diagnoses determined by a detailed gross postmortem examination on the same condemned carcasses. A two-stage convenience sampling technique was used to obtain the birds needed. Fifteen lots of birds were selected and within each of these, approximately 45 condemned carcasses were selected for a total of 680. All the diagnoses made on these birds at the abattoir were recorded and the carcasses individually identified. The sampled carcasses were transported to the Ontario Veterinary College where a panel of three federal veterinarians independently judged whether the birds were fit for human consumption. In addition, a detailed gross postmortem examination was conducted on each carcass. An overall predictive value of a positive test of approximately 70% was found. The degree of agreement among members of the panel of examiners was also tested. The overall agreement was good (Kappa = 0.62 between examiners 1 and 2 and 0.51 between examiners 1 and 3). However, carcasses condemned for specific conditions at the abattoir, namely valgus varus deformity, mutilation, cellulitis and hepatitis showed no agreement beyond chance, while other carcasses condemned for conditions such as cyanosis and bruising showed poor agreement concerning their disposition for at least one pair of examiners.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:3370562

[Pyometra and persistent hymen in an alpaca].

PubMed

Egloff, C; Gerspach, C; Rütten, M; Dettwiler, M; Reichler, I; Bleul, U

2013-01-01

A 3-year-old female alpaca was referred to the hospital because of tenesmus. Clinical examination revealed a habitual vaginal prolapse with tenesmus during urination and defecation. On vaginoscopic examination a persistent hymen was detected. Ultrasonography of the caudal abdomen showed an echogenic fluid-filled uterus. A diagnostic laparotomy led to diagnosis of pyometra. Following ovariohysterectomy, the recovery was uneventful. One and a half years later the alpaca was again admitted to the hospital because of colic. Based on the findings, a tentative prognosis was provided and the alpaca was euthanized at the request of the owner. At necropsy, a haemorrhagic infarction of a jejunal loop was found due to incarceration in a fibrous adhesion between the vaginal stump and small intestine.

Sudden aortic death-proposal for a comprehensive diagnostic approach in forensic and in clinical pathology practice.

PubMed

de Boer, Hans H; Dedouit, Fabrice; Chappex, Nina; van der Wal, Allard C; Michaud, Katarzyna

2017-11-01

Aortic rupture or dissection as immediate cause of sudden death is encountered in forensic and clinical autopsy practice. Despite a common denominator of 'sudden aortic death' (SAD), we expect that in both settings the diagnostic workup, being either primarily legal or primarily disease related, differs substantially, which may affect the eventual diagnoses. We retrospectively reviewed case records of deceased persons who fitted a diagnosis of SAD in the continuous autopsy cohorts in a forensic (Suisse) and a clinical setting (The Netherlands). Clinical characteristics, data from post-mortem imaging, tissue blocks for histological analysis and results of ancillary studies were reviewed for its presence and outcome. SAD was found in 7.7% in the forensic versus 2.2% in the clinical autopsies. In the forensic setting, autopsy was always combined with post-mortem imaging, showing variable outcome on detection of aortic disruption and/or pericardial bleeding. Histology of aorta was performed in 12/35 cases, mostly in the natural deaths. In the clinical setting, histology of the aorta was available in all cases, but post-mortem imaging in none. In both settings, underlying aortic disease was mostly cystic medial degeneration, atherosclerosis or a combination of both, with occasional rare unexpected diagnosis. Also in both, a genetic cause of aortic dissection was revealed in a minority (three cases). Sudden aortic death (SAD) is more commonly encountered in a forensic than in a clinical setting. Major differences in the approach of SAD between these settings coincide with similarities in causes of death and underlying diseases. To ensure a correct diagnosis, we recommend that the investigation of SAD includes a study of the medical history, a full autopsy with histology of major organs including aorta, and storage of material for toxicological and genetic testing. Post-mortem radiological examination, useful for documentation and screening purposes, is feasible as non-invasive alternative when autopsy is not possible, but cannot substitute a full autopsy.

Association between polychlorinated biphenyls and Parkinson's disease neuropathology.

PubMed

Hatcher-Martin, Jaime M; Gearing, Marla; Steenland, Kyle; Levey, Allan I; Miller, Gary W; Pennell, Kurt D

2012-10-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic chemicals primarily used as coolants and insulators in electrical equipment. Although banned for several decades, PCBs continue to exist in the environment because of their long half-life, continued presence in items produced before the ban, and poor disposal practices. Epidemiological and experimental studies have identified exposure to PCBs as a potential risk factor for Parkinson's disease, perhaps more so in females. The objective of this work was to examine the association between PCB levels in post-mortem human brain tissue and the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, as well as the degree of nigral depigmentation. We also sought to determine if this association was more significant when patients were stratified by sex. Post-mortem brain samples from control patients and those diagnosed with Parkinson's disease were obtained from the Emory University Brain Bank and from the Nun Study. Concentrations of eight prevalent PCB congeners were extracted from post-mortem brain tissue and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PCB congeners 153 and 180 were significantly elevated in the brains of Parkinson's disease patients. When stratified by sex, the female Parkinson's disease group demonstrated significantly elevated concentrations of total PCBs and specifically congeners 138, 153, and 180 compared to controls, whereas PCB concentrations in males were not significantly different between control and Parkinson's disease groups. In a separate population of women (Nun Study) who had no clinical signs or symptoms of PD, elevated concentrations total PCB and congeners 138, 153 and 180 were also observed in post-mortem brain tissue exhibiting moderate nigral depigmentation compared to subjects with mild or no depigmentation. These quantitative data demonstrate an association between brain PCB levels and Parkinson's disease-related pathology. Furthermore, these data support epidemiological and laboratory studies reporting a link between PCB exposure and an increased risk for Parkinson's disease, including greater susceptibility of females. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between polychlorinated biphenyls and Parkinson’s disease neuropathology

PubMed Central

Hatcher-Martin, Jaime M.; Gearing, Marla; Steenland, Kyle; Levey, Allan I.; Miller, Gary W.; Pennell, Kurt D.

2012-01-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic chemicals primarily used as coolants and insulators in electrical equipment. Although banned for several decades, PCBs continue to exist in the environment because of their long half-life, continued presence in items produced before the ban, and poor disposal practices. Epidemiological and experimental studies have identified exposure to PCBs as a potential risk factor for Parkinson’s disease, perhaps more so in females. The objective of this work was to examine the association between PCB levels in post-mortem human brain tissue and the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, as well as the degree of nigral depigmentation. We also sought to determine if this association was more significant when patients were stratified by sex. Post-mortem brain samples from control patients and those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease were obtained from the Emory University Brain Bank and from the Nun Study. Concentrations of eight prevalent PCB congeners were extracted from post-mortem brain tissue and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PCB congeners 153 and 180 were significantly elevated in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients. When stratified by sex, the female Parkinson’s disease group demonstrated significantly elevated concentrations of total PCBs and specifically congeners 138, 153, and 180 compared to controls, whereas PCB concentrations in males were not significantly different between control and Parkinson’s disease groups. In a separate population of women (Nun Study) who had no clinical signs or symptoms of PD, elevated concentrations total PCB and congeners 138, 153 and 180 were also observed in post-mortem brain tissue exhibiting moderate nigral depigmentation compared to subjects with mild or no depigmentation. These quantitative data demonstrate an association between brain PCB levels and Parkinson’s disease-related pathology. Furthermore, these data support epidemiological and laboratory studies reporting a link between PCB exposure and an increased risk for Parkinson’s disease, including greater susceptibility of females. PMID:22906799

Abnormal expression and functional characteristics of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein in postmortem brain of suicide subjects.

PubMed

Dwivedi, Yogesh; Rao, Jagadeesh Sridhara; Rizavi, Hooriyah S; Kotowski, Jacek; Conley, Robert R; Roberts, Rosalinda C; Tamminga, Carol A; Pandey, Ghanshyam N

2003-03-01

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB) is a transcription factor that, on phosphorylation by protein kinases, is activated, and in response, regulates the transcription of many neuronally expressed genes. In view of the recent observations that catalytic properties and/or expression of many kinases that mediate their physiological responses through the activation of CREB are altered in the postmortem brain of subjects who commit suicide (hereafter referred to as suicide subjects), we examined the status of CREB in suicidal behavior. These studies were performed in Brodmann area (BA) 9 and hippocampus obtained from 26 suicide subjects and 20 nonpsychiatric healthy control subjects. Messenger RNA levels of CREB and neuron-specific enolase were determined in total RNA by means of quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Protein levels and the functional characteristics of CREB were determined in nuclear fractions by means of Western blot and cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element (CRE)-DNA binding activity, respectively. In the same nuclear fraction, we determined the catalytic activity of cyclic adenosine monophosphate-stimulated protein kinase A by means of enzymatic assay. We observed a significant reduction in messenger RNA and protein levels of CREB, CRE-DNA binding activity, and basal and cyclic adenosine monophosphate-stimulated protein kinase A activity in BA 9 and hippocampus of suicide subjects, without any change in messenger RNA levels of neuron-specific enolase in BA 9. Except for protein kinase A activity, changes in CREB expression and CRE-DNA binding activity were present in all suicide subjects, irrespective of diagnosis. These changes were unrelated to postmortem intervals, age, sex, or antidepressant treatment. Given the significance of CREB in mediating various physiological functions through gene transcription, our results of decreased expression and functional characteristics of CREB in postmortem brain of suicide subjects suggest that CREB may play an important role in suicidal behavior.

Antipsychotic drugs attenuate aberrant DNA methylation of DTNBP1 (dysbindin) promoter in saliva and post-mortem brain of patients with schizophrenia and Psychotic bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Abdolmaleky, Hamid M; Pajouhanfar, Sara; Faghankhani, Masoomeh; Joghataei, Mohammad Taghi; Mostafavi, Ashraf; Thiagalingam, Sam

2015-12-01

Due to the lack of genetic association between individual genes and schizophrenia (SCZ) pathogenesis, the current consensus is to consider both genetic and epigenetic alterations. Here, we report the examination of DNA methylation status of DTNBP1 promoter region, one of the most credible candidate genes affected in SCZ, assayed in saliva and post-mortem brain samples. The Illumina DNA methylation profiling and bisulfite sequencing of representative samples were used to identify methylation status of the DTNBP1 promoter region. Quantitative methylation specific PCR (qMSP) was employed to assess methylation of DTNBP1 promoter CpGs flanking a SP1 binding site in the saliva of SCZ patients, their first-degree relatives and control subjects (30, 15, and 30/group, respectively) as well as in post-mortem brains of patients with SCZ and bipolar disorder (BD) versus controls (35/group). qRT-PCR was used to assess DTNBP1 expression. We found DNA hypermethylation of DTNBP1 promoter in the saliva of SCZ patients (∼12.5%, P = 0.036), particularly in drug-naïve patients (∼20%, P = 0.011), and a trend toward hypermethylation in their first-degree relatives (P = 0.085) versus controls. Analysis of post-mortem brain samples revealed an inverse correlation between DTNBP1 methylation and expression, and normalization of this epigenetic change by classic antipsychotic drugs. Additionally, BD patients with psychotic depression exhibited higher degree of methylation versus other BD patients (∼80%, P = 0.025). DTNBP1 promoter DNA methylation may become a key element in a panel of biomarkers for diagnosis, prevention, or therapy in SCZ and at risk individuals pending confirmatory studies with larger sample sizes to attain a higher degree of significance. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Characterisation of the metabolome of ocular tissues and post-mortem changes in the rat retina.

PubMed

Tan, Shi Z; Mullard, Graham; Hollywood, Katherine A; Dunn, Warwick B; Bishop, Paul N

2016-08-01

Time-dependent post-mortem biochemical changes have been demonstrated in donor cornea and vitreous, but there have been no published studies to date that objectively measure post-mortem changes in the retinal metabolome over time. The aim of the study was firstly, to investigate post-mortem, time-dependent changes in the rat retinal metabolome and secondly, to compare the metabolite composition of healthy rat ocular tissues. To study post-mortem changes in the rat retinal metabolome, globes were enucleated and stored at 4 °C and sampled at 0, 2, 4, 8, 24 and 48 h post-mortem. To study the metabolite composition of rat ocular tissues, eyes were dissected immediately after culling to isolate the cornea, lens, vitreous and retina, prior to storing at -80 °C. Tissue extracts were subjected to Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). Generally, the metabolic composition of the retina was stable for 8 h post-mortem when eyes were stored at 4 °C, but showed increasing changes thereafter. However, some more rapid changes were observed such as increases in TCA cycle metabolites after 2 h post-mortem, whereas some metabolites such as fatty acids only showed decreases in concentration from 24 h. A total of 42 metabolites were identified across the ocular tissues by GC-MS (MSI level 1) and 2782 metabolites were annotated by UHPLC-MS (MSI level 2) according to MSI reporting standards. Many of the metabolites detected were common to all of the tissues but some metabolites showed partitioning between different ocular structures with 655, 297, 93 and 13 metabolites being uniquely detected in the retina, lens, cornea and vitreous respectively. Only a small percentage (1.6%) of metabolites found in the vitreous were only detected in the retina and not other tissues. In conclusion, mass spectrometry-based techniques have been used for the first time to compare the metabolic composition of different ocular tissues. The metabolite composition of the retina stored at 4 °C post-mortem is mostly stable for at least 8 h. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MANAGEMENT OF ENDOMETRIOSIS IN TWO CAPTIVE MANDRILLS (MANDRILLUS SPHINX).

PubMed

Okeson, Danelle M; Higbie, Christine T; Mylniczenko, Natalie D; Haynes, April; Bennett, Suzanne; Klocke, Emily; Carpenter, James W

2016-06-01

Endometriosis has been reported in humans, great apes, and Old World monkeys. Although cases are noted anecdotally in Mandrillus spp., and a previously reported case was noted on postmortem examination, to the authors' knowledge, no previous reports of case management have been published in the peer-reviewed literature. This paper describes the medical and surgical management of endometriosis in two mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx).

Acute disseminated toxoplasmosis in a juvenile cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).

PubMed

Lloyd, Christopher; Stidworthy, Mark F

2007-09-01

A juvenile cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) died with rapidly progressive pyrexia, tachypnea, abdominal effusion, and hepatomegaly. Postmortem examination revealed lesions consistent with acute disseminated infection with Toxoplasma gondii. The presence of this organism was confirmed in multiple organs by immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction. To the best of our knowledge, we propose this to be the first reported case of primary acute disseminated toxoplasmosis in a cheetah.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bookstein, J.J.; Alazraki, N.P.; Jassy, L.N.

An experiment was designed to determine whether or not acute pneumococcal pneumonia in dogs is associated with intravascular thrombosis, or with angiographic features distinguishable from pulmonary embolism. In dogs with normal baseline chest radiographs and perfusion scans, pneumonia was produced by transbronchial instillation of type III pneumococcus. After 2 days, perfusion scans demonstrated discrete appropriate defects. In vivo magnification pulmonary arteriography, postmortem pulmonary arteriography, and histologic examination disclosed no evidence of thrombi.

Progressive ataxia in a Charolais bull.

PubMed

Zicker, S C; Kasari, T R; Scruggs, D W; Read, W K; Edwards, J F

1988-06-01

A 20-month-old Charolais bull was referred for evaluation of progressive hind limb ataxia. Clinical findings suggested a neuroanatomic lesion caudal to T2. Postmortem histologic examination revealed multifocal, acellular, pale, eosinophilic plaques throughout the cerebellum, which were diagnostic for the disease progressive ataxia of Charolais cattle. This disease is presumed to have a hereditary transmission and is not commonly recognized in the United States.

Effects of probiotics feeding on meat quality of chicken breast during postmortem storage.

PubMed

Kim, H W; Yan, F F; Hu, J Y; Cheng, H W; Kim, Y H B

2016-06-01

This study evaluated the effects of dietary probiotic supplement and postmortem storage on meat quality of chicken breast during retail display. A total of 35 birds were randomly obtained from 3 feeding groups (control without probiotic supplement, 250 ppm Sporulin, and 500 ppm PoultryStar). The probiotic supplement had no influence on feed conversion ratio and body weight gain, as well as body weight at 29 and 44 d (P > 0.05). After slaughter, each side of the breast muscles (M. Pectoralis major) was assigned to either one d or 5 d of postmortem storage. Probiotic supplement had no influence on the rate of pH decline of chicken breast muscles during the initial 6 h postmortem (P > 0.05). No interactions between probiotic supplement and postmortem storage on meat quality were found (P > 0.05). Postmortem storage decreased drip loss from 25.30 to 18.05% (P < 0.05). Probiotics-fed chicken groups, particularly PoultryStar treatment, had a higher myofibrillar fragmentation index than the control group (P < 0.05). However, shear force values were not affected by the probiotic treatments. Decreases in color and lipid stabilities of breast muscles were found during display (P < 0.05), but were not affected by the probiotic supplement (P > 0.05). Our result suggests that probiotic supplement had no adverse impacts on proteolysis and oxidative changes during 5 d postmortem display storage. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Nitrobenzodiazepines: Postmortem brain and blood reference concentrations.

PubMed

Skov, Louise; Holm, Karen Marie Dollerup; Linnet, Kristian

2016-11-01

Reference concentrations are needed to evaluate postmortem toxicology results and usually femoral blood is the specimen of choice. However, brain tissue has been suggested as a viable alternative specimen, since postmortem blood concentrations can be difficult to interpret due to postmortem redistribution, among other factors. Here we present reference concentrations of postmortem brain and femoral blood of the nitrobenzodiazepines clonazepam, flunitrazepam, and nitrazepam that are of particular interest since they commonly are converted to their corresponding 7-aminometabolites in the postmortem situation. The drugs and metabolites were quantified in both matrices using LC-MS-MS in 69 cases. In 63 cases the compounds were judged not to have been of significance for the death (C cases), whereas they were considered to have been a contributing factor in 6 cases (B cases). No cases were observed with a nitrobenzodiazepine being the sole cause of death (A cases). The brain-blood ratios for clonazepam and nitrazepam were 5.5 and 4.7, respectively, while the brain-blood ratios for the 7-aminometabolites ranged from 0.4 to 0.5. Flunitrazepam only occurred as the 7-aminometabolite. A positive correlation between brain and blood concentrations was found with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (r s ) ranging from 0.77 to 0.96. The measured femoral blood concentrations agree with literature values, but only few brain concentrations were available for comparison. The drug-metabolite ratios for clonazepam and nitrazepam were 10-12 times higher in brain than in blood. The pre-analytical variation in brain of 5.9% was fairly low, suggesting that brain tissue is a useful alternative to blood. The reported brain and femoral blood concentrations serve as reference values in postmortem investigations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bilateral lenticular Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection in a snow leopard (Panthera uncia).

PubMed

Scurrell, Emma Jane; Holding, Ellen; Hopper, Jane; Denk, Daniela; Fuchs-Baumgartinger, Andrea; Silbermayr, Katja; Nell, Barbara

2015-01-01

Bilateral phacoclastic uveitis caused by lenticular infection with Encephalitozoon cuniculi is described in a snow leopard. The diagnosis was made on histopathological and immunohistological examination of both eyes submitted after postmortem examination. There was a positive antibody titer for E. cuniculi (1:320). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded ocular tissue detected the DNA of E. cuniculi, strain III. No other systemic lesions attributable to the E. cuniculi infection were identified. © 2014 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Prostatic tuberculosis and AIDS.

PubMed

Lanjewar, D N; Maheshwari, M B

1994-01-01

Tuberculosis of the prostate is rare and is thought to be either due to haematogenous dissemination or secondary to renal infection. We describe, possibly for the first time, two male patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who had tuberculous abscesses in the prostate discovered at post-mortem examination. Only one of them had mild urinary symptoms and neither had evidence of urogenital tuberculosis before death. We suggest that in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome tuberculous infection of the prostate should be sought by microscopic examination of the urine, semen and prostatic fluid obtained after massage.

Effect of fast pH decline during the early postmortem period on calpain activity and cytoskeletal protein degradation of broiler M. pectoralis major.

PubMed

Huang, J C; Yang, J; Huang, F; Huang, M; Chen, K J; Xu, X L; Zhou, G H

2016-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of fast pH decline during the early postmortem period on calpain activity and the degradation of cytoskeletal proteins in broilers. Eighty broilers were randomly categorized into two groups: physical restraint (PR) and free struggle (FS). M. pectoralis major (PM) was used for determination of calpain activity, shear value, ultrastructure of myofibrils, and the degradation of desmin, titin, nebulin, and troponin-T. The pH (6.05) of FS group is significantly low than PR group (6.38) at 0.3 h postmortem. Fast pH decline during the early postmortem period led to a decrease of μ/m-calpain activities at 0.3 and 3 h postmortem (P < 0.05), but did not affect the ultimate μ/m-calpain activity. An initial fast decrease in pH increased the degradation of desmin, titin, nebulin, and increased the 30 kDa degradation fragments of troponin-T. Therefore, the fast pH decline during the early postmortem period decreased the μ/m-calpain activity and increased the degradation of cytoskeletal proteins in broiler muscle. It is possible that the fast pH decline experienced an earlier activation of calpains that resulted in earlier protein degradation and ultimately lower shear force. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Consensus recommendations for the postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The National Institute on Aging, and Reagan Institute Working Group on Diagnostic Criteria for the Neuropathological Assessment of Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

1997-01-01

This report summarizes the consensus recommendations of a panel of neuropathologists from the United States and Europe to improve the postmortem diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease. The recommendations followed from a two-day workshop sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Institute of the Alzheimer's Association to reassess the original NIA criteria for the postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease published in 1985. The consensus recommendations for improving the neuropathological criteria for the postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease are reported here, and the "position papers" by members of the Working Group that accompany this report elaborate on the research findings and concepts upon which these recommendations were based. Further, commentaries by other experts in the field also are included here to provide additional perspectives on these recommendations. Finally, it is anticipated that future meetings of the Working Group will reassess these recommendations and the implementation of postmortem diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease.

When does the lung die? Kfc, cell viability, and adenine nucleotide changes in the circulation-arrested rat lung.

PubMed

Jones, D R; Becker, R M; Hoffmann, S C; Lemasters, J J; Egan, T M

1997-07-01

Lungs harvested from cadaveric circulation-arrested donors may increase the donor pool for lung transplantation. To determine the degree and time course of ischemia-reperfusion injury, we evaluated the effect of O2 ventilation on capillary permeability [capillary filtration coefficient (Kfc)], cell viability, and total adenine nucleotide (TAN) levels in in situ circulation-arrested rat lungs. Kfc increased with increasing postmortem ischemic time (r = 0.88). Lungs ventilated with O2 1 h postmortem had similar Kfc and wet-to-dry ratios as controls. Nonventilated lungs had threefold (P < 0.05) and sevenfold (P < 0.0001) increases in Kfc at 30 and 60 min postmortem compared with controls. Cell viability decreased in all groups except for 30-min postmortem O2-ventilated lungs. TAN levels decreased with increasing ischemic time, particularly in nonventilated lungs. Loss of adenine nucleotides correlated with increasing Kfc values (r = 0.76). This study indicates that lungs retrieved 1 h postmortem may have normal Kfc with preharvest O2 ventilation. The relationship between Kfc and TAN suggests that vascular permeability may be related to lung TAN levels.

Usefulness and limitations of postmortem computed tomography in forensic analysis of gunshot injuries: Three case reports.

PubMed

Usui, Akihito; Kawasumi, Yusuke; Hosokai, Yoshiyuki; Kozakai, Masataka; Saito, Haruo; Funayama, Masato

2016-01-01

Gunshot injury has always been an important field of investigation in postmortem forensic radiology. The localization and retrieval of the bullet and of potentially important fragments are vital to these cases. Using postmortem multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) prior to forensic autopsy, we sought to illustrate the importance of this modality in the noninvasive characterization of gunshot wounds. We obtained and analyzed MDCT images in three cases of gunshot wounds (accidental close-range shotgun shooting, suicidal contact gunshot to the head and accidental long-range buckshot shooting). We discuss the value of postmortem MDCT findings in gunshot wound cases by comparing with forensic autopsy findings in Japan, a developing country with miserably low autopsy rate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age-Related Differences in Longitudinal Structural Change by Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography in Early Experimental Glaucoma

PubMed Central

Yang, Hongli; He, Lin; Gardiner, Stuart K.; Reynaud, Juan; Williams, Galen; Hardin, Christy; Strouthidis, Nicholas G.; Downs, J. Crawford; Fortune, Brad; Burgoyne, Claude F.

2014-01-01

Purpose. To characterize age-related differences in the magnitude of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) structural change in early experimental glaucoma (EG). Methods. Both eyes from four young (1.4–2.6 years) and four old (18.6–21.9 years) rhesus monkeys were imaged at least three times at baseline, and then every 2 weeks after laser-induced, chronic, unilateral IOP elevation until the onset of EG (confocal scanning laser tomographic surface change confirmed twice). Two to 20 weeks after EG onset, animals were euthanized and optic nerve axon counts for all eyes were performed. Masked operators delineated retinal and ONH landmarks in 40 radial B-scans from each eye and imaging session to quantify change from baseline in five SD-OCT neural and connective tissue parameters. The effects of EG, age, and EG × age interactions on the magnitude, rate (magnitude per postlaser time), and IOP responsiveness (magnitude per cumulative IOP insult) of postlaser parameter change were individually assessed using general estimating equation models. Results. Presac SD-OCT RNFLT and minimum rim width change and postmortem axon loss was not significantly different in old compared with young EG eyes. The rate of change and IOP responsiveness of the parameters anterior lamina cribrosa surface depth relative to Bruch's membrane opening (BMO) and BMO depth relative to peripheral Bruch's membrane were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the old compared with the young EG eyes. Conclusions. At similar postlaser times, levels of cumulative IOP insult and axonal damage, SD-OCT–detected ONH connective tissue structural change is greater in young compared with old monkey EG eyes. PMID:25190652

A Low-Cost Method of Ciliary Beat Frequency Measurement Using iPhone and MATLAB: Rabbit Study.

PubMed

Chen, Jason J; Lemieux, Bryan T; Wong, Brian J F

2016-08-01

(1) To determine ciliary beat frequency (CBF) using a consumer-grade cellphone camera and MATLAB and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. Prospective animal study. Academic otolaryngology department research laboratory. Five ex vivo tracheal samples were extracted from 3 freshly euthanized (<3 hours postmortem) New Zealand white rabbits and incubated for 30 minutes in buffer at 23°C, buffer at 37°C, or 10% formalin at 23°C. Samples were sectioned transversely and observed under a phase-contrast microscope. Cilia movement was recorded through the eyepiece using an iPhone 6 at 240 frames per second (fps). Through MATLAB programming, the video of the 23°C sample was downsampled to 120, 60, and 30 fps, and Fourier analysis was performed on videos of all frame rates and conditions to determine CBF. CBF of the 23°C sample was also calculated manually frame by frame for verification. Recorded at 240 fps, the CBF at 23°C was 5.03 ± 0.4 Hz, and the CBF at 37°C was 9.08 ± 0.49 Hz (P < .001). The sample with 10% formalin did not display any data beyond DC noise. Compared with 240 fps, the means of other frame rates/methods (120, 60, 30 fps; manual counting) at 23°C all showed no statistical difference (P > .05). There is no significant difference between CBF measured via visual inspection and that analyzed by the developed program. Furthermore, all tested acquisition rates are shown to be effective, providing a fast and inexpensive alternative to current CBF measurement protocols. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

The Connective Tissue Components of Optic Nerve Head Cupping in Monkey Experimental Glaucoma Part 1: Global Change

PubMed Central

Yang, Hongli; Ren, Ruojin; Lockwood, Howard; Williams, Galen; Libertiaux, Vincent; Downs, Crawford; Gardiner, Stuart K.; Burgoyne, Claude F.

2015-01-01

Purpose To characterize optic nerve head (ONH) connective tissue change within 21 monkey experimental glaucoma (EG) eyes, so as to identify its principal components. Methods Animals were imaged three to five times at baseline then every 2 weeks following chronic unilateral IOP elevation, and euthanized early through end-stage confocal scanning laser tomographic change. Optic nerve heads were serial-sectioned, three-dimensionally (3D) reconstructed, delineated, and quantified. Overall EG versus control eye differences were assessed by general estimating equations (GEE). Significant, animal-specific, EG eye change was required to exceed the maximum physiologic intereye differences in six healthy animals. Results Overall EG eye change was significant (P < 0.0026) and animal-specific EG eye change most frequent, for five phenomena (number of EG eyes and range of animal-specific change): posterior laminar deformation (21, −29 to −437 μm), laminar thickening (11, 20–73 μm) and thinning (3, −23 to −31 μm), scleral canal expansion (17, 20–139 μm), outward anterior (16, −16 to −124 μm) and posterior (17, −22 to −279 μm) laminar insertion migration, and peripapillary scleral bowing (11, 21–77 μm). Experimental glaucoma versus control eye laminar thickness differences were bimodal in behavior, being thickened in most EG eyes demonstrating the least deformation and less thickened or thinned in most EG eyes demonstrating the greatest deformation. Conclusions Our postmortem studies retrospectively identify five connective tissue components of ONH “cupping” in monkey EG which serve as targets for longitudinally staging and phenotyping ONH connective tissue alteration within all forms of monkey and human optic neuropathy. PMID:26641545

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL MARINE BRUCELLA FROM A SOUTHERN SEA OTTER (ENHYDRA LUTRIS NEREIS), CALIFORNIA, USA.

PubMed

Miller, Melissa A; Burgess, Tristan L; Dodd, Erin M; Rhyan, Jack C; Jang, Spencer S; Byrne, Barbara A; Gulland, Frances M D; Murray, Michael J; Toy-Choutka, Sharon; Conrad, Patricia A; Field, Cara L; Sidor, Inga F; Smith, Woutrina A

2017-04-01

We characterize Brucella infection in a wild southern sea otter ( Enhydra lutris nereis) with osteolytic lesions similar to those reported in other marine mammals and humans. This otter stranded twice along the central California coast, US over a 1-yr period and was handled extensively at two wildlife rehabilitation facilities, undergoing multiple surgeries and months of postsurgical care. Ultimately the otter was euthanized due to severe, progressive neurologic disease. Necropsy and postmortem radiographs revealed chronic, severe osteoarthritis spanning the proximal interphalangeal joint of the left hind fifth digit. Numerous coccobacilli within the joint were strongly positive on Brucella immunohistochemical labelling, and Brucella sp. was isolated in pure culture from this lesion. Sparse Brucella-immunopositive bacteria were also observed in the cytoplasm of a pulmonary vascular monocyte, and multifocal granulomas were observed in the spinal cord and liver on histopathology. Findings from biochemical characterization, 16S ribosomal DNA, and bp26 gene sequencing of the bacterial isolate were identical to those from marine-origin brucellae isolated from cetaceans and phocids. Although omp2a gene sequencing revealed 100% homology with marine Brucella spp. infecting pinnipeds, whales, and humans, omp2b gene sequences were identical only to pinniped-origin isolates. Multilocus sequence typing classified the sea otter isolate as ST26, a sequence type previously associated only with cetaceans. Our data suggest that the sea otter Brucella strain represents a novel marine lineage that is distinct from both Brucella pinnipedialis and Brucella ceti. Prior reports document the zoonotic potential of the marine brucellae. Isolation of Brucella sp. from a stranded sea otter highlights the importance of wearing personal protective equipment when handling sea otters and other marine mammals as part of wildlife conservation and rehabilitation efforts.

Experimental Model of Tuberculosis in the Domestic Goat after Endobronchial Infection with Mycobacterium caprae ▿

PubMed Central

Pérez de Val, Bernat; López-Soria, Sergio; Nofrarías, Miquel; Martín, Maite; Vordermeier, H. Martin; Villarreal-Ramos, Bernardo; Romera, Nadine; Escobar, Manel; Solanes, David; Cardona, Pere-Joan; Domingo, Mariano

2011-01-01

Caprine tuberculosis (TB) has increased in recent years, highlighting the need to address the problem the infection poses in goats. Moreover, goats may represent a cheaper alternative for testing of prototype vaccines in large ruminants and humans. With this aim, a Mycobacterium caprae infection model has been developed in goats. Eleven 6-month-old goats were infected by the endobronchial route with 1.5 × 103 CFU, and two other goats were kept as noninfected controls. The animals were monitored for clinical and immunological parameters throughout the experiment. After 14 weeks, the goats were euthanized, and detailed postmortem analysis of lung lesions was performed by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and direct observation. The respiratory lymph nodes were also evaluated and cultured for bacteriological analysis. All infected animals were positive in a single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test at 12 weeks postinfection (p.i.). Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) antigen-specific responses were detected from 4 weeks p.i. until the end of the experiment. The humoral response to MPB83 was especially strong at 14 weeks p.i. (13 days after SICCT boost). All infected animals presented severe TB lesions in the lungs and associated lymph nodes. M. caprae was recovered from pulmonary lymph nodes in all inoculated goats. MDCT allowed a precise quantitative measure of TB lesions. Lesions in goats induced by M. caprae appeared to be more severe than those induced in cattle by M. bovis over a similar period of time. The present work proposes a reliable new experimental animal model for a better understanding of caprine tuberculosis and future development of vaccine trials in this and other species. PMID:21880849

Communicating with families about post-mortems: practice guidance.

PubMed

Henderson, Nicola

2006-02-01

In January 2001 the Chief Medical Officer announced the Public Inquiry (Redfern Report) into post-mortem practice at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool. It was expected that this inquiry report would influence post-mortem practice in general and communication with parents in particular and in May 2003 a code of practice for clinical staff was produced by the Department of Health (DH) (2003a). This article discusses the code of practice Families and Post Mortems and explores the relevance of these recommendations to neonatal and children's nurses.

Investigation of Post-mortem Tissue Effects Using Long-time Decorrelation Ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Csány, Gergely; Balogh, Lajos; Gyöngy, Miklós

Decorrelation ultrasound is being increasingly used to investigate long-term biological phenomena. In the current work, ultrasound image sequences of mice who did not survive anesthesia (in a separate investigation) were analyzed and post-mortem tissue effects were observed via decorrelation calculation. A method was developed to obtain a quantitative parameter characterizing the rate of decorrelation. The results show that ultrasound decorrelation imaging is an effective method of observing post-mortem tissue effects and point to further studies elucidating the mechanism behind these effects.

Metastatic carcinoma presenting as hind-limb lameness: diagnosis by synovial fluid cytology.

PubMed

Meinkoth, J H; Rochat, M C; Cowell, R L

1997-01-01

A dog presented for evaluation of left hind-limb lameness and pain associated with manipulation of the tail. Synovial metastasis of a carcinoma was diagnosed by joint fluid examination. A primary bronchiolar-alveolar carcinoma with widespread (including synovial and skeletal) metastases was diagnosed on postmortem examination. Metastasis to synovial surfaces is uncommon, but when it occurs, the metastasis-induced arthritis may be the initial presenting complaint for which medical attention is sought. Although rarely reported, cytological examination of synovial fluid may be diagnostic. This paper presents an interesting clinical case and reviews the literature concerning metastatic disease of the synovium.

A toxicology-based review of fentanyl-related deaths in New Mexico (1986-2007).

PubMed

Krinsky, Clarissa S; Lathrop, Sarah L; Crossey, Michael; Baker, Ginger; Zumwalt, Ross

2011-12-01

Since its approval in the United States, fentanyl has become increasingly popular for the medical management of pain and as a substance of abuse. Fentanyl is unique among the opioids in its widespread use with a transdermal delivery system, which contributes to its unique pharmacokinetics and abuse potential. We examined the demographics of deaths with fentanyl identified on toxicologic analysis and reviewed specific challenges in the laboratory detection of postmortem fentanyl levels. The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator database was searched for all cases from January 1986 through December 2007 with fentanyl reported as present or quantified. Those deaths with a cause of death identified as drug overdose were then analyzed separately. From 1986 to 2007, 154 cases were identified with fentanyl present in postmortem samples, with 96 of the cases identified as fentanyl-related drug overdoses. The number of fentanyl-related deaths has increased over the past 20 years, corresponding to both statewide increases in the medical use of fentanyl and the abuse of prescription opioids. The demographics of these fentanyl-related overdoses showed that subjects were more likely to be female, white non-Hispanic, and older than those in previously described overdose deaths. Several cases were identified with central and peripheral blood samples and antemortem and postmortem samples available for fentanyl quantification. Given the uncharacteristic demographics of fentanyl-related deaths and the complexity of the laboratory analysis of fentanyl, forensic scientists must use caution in both the detection and interpretation of fentanyl concentrations.

Increased neuroinflammatory and arachidonic acid cascade markers, and reduced synaptic proteins, in the postmortem frontal cortex from schizophrenia patients

PubMed Central

Rao, Jagadeesh Sridhara; Kim, Hyung-Wook; Harry, Gaylia Jean; Rapoport, Stanley Isaac; Reese, Edmund Arthur

2013-01-01

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a progressive, neuropsychiatric disorder associated with cognitive impairment. A number of brain alterations have been linked to cognitive impairment, including neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, increased arachidonic acid (AA) signaling and reduced synaptic protein. On this basis, we tested the hypothesis that SZ pathology is associated with these pathological brain changes. To do this, we examined postmortem frontal cortex from 10 SZ patients and 10 controls and measured protein and mRNA levels of cytokines, and astroglial, microglial, neuroinflammatory excitotoxic, AA cascade, apoptotic and synaptic markers. Mean protein and mRNA levels of interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP), a microglial marker CD11b, and nuclear factor kappa B subunits were significantly increased in SZ compared with control brain. Protein and mRNA levels of cytosolic and secretory phospholipase A2 and cyclooxygenase were significantly elevated in postmortem brains from SZ patients. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits 1 and 2B, inducible nitric oxide synthase and c-FOS were not significantly different. In addition, reduced protein and mRNA levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, synaptophysin and drebrin were found in SZ compared with control frontal cortex. Increased neuroinflammation and AA cascade enzyme markers with synaptic protein loss could promote disease progression and cognitive defects in SZ patients. Drugs that downregulate these changes might be considered for new therapies in SZ. PMID:23566496

Does the sequence of onset of rigor mortis depend on the proportion of muscle fibre types and on intra-muscular glycogen content?

PubMed

Kobayashi, M; Takatori, T; Nakajima, M; Saka, K; Iwase, H; Nagao, M; Niijima, H; Matsuda, Y

1999-01-01

We examined the postmortem changes in the levels of ATP, glycogen and lactic acid in two masticatory muscles and three leg muscles of rats. The proportion of fibre types of the muscles was determined with NIH image software. The ATP levels in the white muscles did not decrease up to 1 h after death, and the ATP levels 1 and 2 h after death in the white muscles were higher than those in the red muscles with a single exception. The glycogen level at death and 1 h after death and the lactic acid level 1 h after death in masticatory muscles were lower than in the leg muscles. It is possible that the differences in the proportion of muscle fibre types and in glycogen level in muscles influences the postmortem change in ATP and lactic acid, which would accelerate or retard rigor mortis of the muscles.

The Enduring Challenge of Determining Pneumonia Etiology in Children: Considerations for Future Research Priorities

PubMed Central

Hammitt, Laura L.; Murdoch, David R.; O’Brien, Katherine L.; Scott, J. Anthony G.

2017-01-01

Abstract Pneumonia kills more children each year worldwide than any other disease. Nonetheless, accurately determining the causes of childhood pneumonia has remained elusive. Over the past century, the focus of pneumonia etiology research has shifted from studies of lung aspirates and postmortem specimens intent on identifying pneumococcal disease to studies of multiple specimen types distant from the lung that are tested for multiple pathogens. Some major challenges facing modern pneumonia etiology studies include the use of nonspecific and variable case definitions, poor access to pathologic lung tissue and to specimens from fatal cases, poor diagnostic accuracy of assays (especially when testing nonpulmonary specimens), and the interpretation of results when multiple pathogens are detected in a given individual. The future of childhood pneumonia etiology research will likely require integrating data from complementary approaches, including applications of advanced molecular diagnostics and vaccine probe studies, as well as a renewed emphasis on lung aspirates from radiologically confirmed pneumonia and postmortem examinations. PMID:28575369

Cobboldia elephantis (Cobbold, 1866) larval infestation in an Indian elephant (Elephas maximus).

PubMed

Javare Gowda, Ananda K; Dharanesha, N K; Giridhar, P; Byre Gowda, S M

2017-06-01

In the present study, post-mortem was conducted on a female elephant aged about 37 years died at Rajeev Gandhi National Park, Hunsur, Mathigoodu Elephant Camp, Karnataka state. The animal suffered with diarrhoea, anorexia, dehydration and was unable to walk for about one week before death and was treated with antibiotics and fluid therapy for three days. The post-mortem examination revealed that, the gastric mucosa was severely congested, hyperaemic and numerous stomach bots attached to the mucosa. The bots were recovered from the gastric mucosa and processed for species identification. The posterior spiracles of the bots showed three longitudinal parallel slits in each spiracle, the abdominal segments had a row of belt like triangular shaped spines and the anterior end had two powerful oral hooks with cephalo-pharyngeal skeleton. Based on the above said morphological characters, the bots were identified as Cobboldia elephantis. This seems to be the first report of C. elephantis in free range wild elephant from Karnataka state.

Postmortem Presence of Drugs and Method of Violent Suicide

PubMed Central

Sheehan, Connor M.; Rogers, Richard G.; Boardman, Jason D.

2016-01-01

The link between substance use and suicide is well established. However, little research analyzes how substance use is related to the method of suicide. This paper analyzes how specific drugs are associated with method of suicide, a critical topic because drug use bears on the etiology of suicide and may lead to policies aimed at deterring suicide. We use the COVDRS and logistic regression to examine postmortem presence of drugs among 3,389 hanging and firearm suicides in Colorado from 2004–2009. Net of demographic controls, we find that opiates are positively associated with firearms (OR: 1.92, 95% L: 1.27, 95% U: 2.86]) while antidepressants are positively associated with hanging (OR: 1.45, 95% L: 1.04, 95% U: 2.03). For cocaine and opiates, the association between drug use and violent method vary by educational attainment. Importantly, knowledge of the presence and type of specific drug is strongly associated with the method of suicide. PMID:27239069

Determining composition of micron-scale protein deposits in neurodegenerative disease by spatially targeted optical microproteomics.

PubMed

Hadley, Kevin C; Rakhit, Rishi; Guo, Hongbo; Sun, Yulong; Jonkman, James E N; McLaurin, Joanne; Hazrati, Lili-Naz; Emili, Andrew; Chakrabartty, Avijit

2015-09-29

Spatially targeted optical microproteomics (STOMP) is a novel proteomics technique for interrogating micron-scale regions of interest (ROIs) in mammalian tissue, with no requirement for genetic manipulation. Methanol or formalin-fixed specimens are stained with fluorescent dyes or antibodies to visualize ROIs, then soaked in solutions containing the photo-tag: 4-benzoylbenzyl-glycyl-hexahistidine. Confocal imaging along with two photon excitation are used to covalently couple photo-tags to all proteins within each ROI, to a resolution of 0.67 µm in the xy-plane and 1.48 µm axially. After tissue solubilization, photo-tagged proteins are isolated and identified by mass spectrometry. As a test case, we examined amyloid plaques in an Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse model and a post-mortem AD case, confirming known plaque constituents and discovering new ones. STOMP can be applied to various biological samples including cell lines, primary cell cultures, ex vivo specimens, biopsy samples, and fixed post-mortem tissue.

Interindividual variability in the prevalence of OPRM1 and CYP2B6 gene variations may identify drug-susceptible populations.

PubMed

Bunten, H; Liang, W J; Pounder, D J; Seneviratne, C; Osselton, D

2011-09-01

Methadone is used worldwide for the treatment of heroin addiction; however, fatal poisonings are increasingly reported. The prevalence of CYP2B6 and μ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene variations were examined between a postmortem population where the deaths were associated with methadone and a live nondrug-using control population using Taqman™ SNP Genotyping assays. The CYP2B6*6 allele was higher in the postmortem population, but the difference was not significant (P = 0.92). The CYP2B6 T750C promoter variation was similar in frequency for both populations. Linkage between T750C and CYP2B6*6 was identified for both populations (P < 0.01). The prevalence of the OPRM1 A118G variation was significantly higher in the control population (P = 0.0046), which might indicate a protective mechanism against opioid toxicity. Individual susceptibility to methadone may be determined by screening for CYP2B6*6.

Evaluation of hypostasis using a colorimeter measuring system and its application to assessment of the post-mortem interval (time of death).

PubMed

Vanezis, P; Trujillo, O

1996-03-05

Hypostasis was measured in 93 cadavers using a tristimulus colorimeter in order to investigate its relationship with the time of death. The intensity (lightness) of the hypostasis in each case was measured over a period of 4 h and the rate of change in lightness derived. When examined against the time of death, it was found that there was a good correlation between the two. Namely, that the rate of change of lightness (and it can be inferred that this represents displaceability) decreases as the post-mortem period increases. The shift in hypostasis was particularly marked in the first 12 h and decreased thereafter. However, hypostasis could be useful for time of death estimation for up to 48 h. After this time, the degree of change was small or non-existent and by 72 h hypostasis had become fixed in the majority of cases, within our measuring period of 4 h.

Comparison of protocols for measuring and calculating postmortem submersion intervals for human analogs in fresh water.

PubMed

Humphreys, Michael K; Panacek, Edward; Green, William; Albers, Elizabeth

2013-03-01

Protocols for determining postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) have long been problematic for forensic investigators due to the wide variety of factors affecting the rate of decomposition of submerged carrion. Likewise, it has been equally problematic for researchers to develop standardized experimental protocols to monitor underwater decomposition without artificially affecting the decomposition rate. This study compares two experimental protocols: (i) underwater in situ evaluation with photographic documentation utilizing the Heaton et al. total aquatic decomposition (TAD) score and (ii) weighing the carrion before and after submersion. Complete forensic necropsies were performed as a control. Perinatal piglets were used as human analogs. The results of this study indicate that in order to objectively measure decomposition over time, the human analog should be examined at depth using the TAD scoring system rather than utilizing a carrion weight evaluation. The acquired TAD score can be used to calculate an approximate PMSI. © 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Deaths Associated With Brotizolam Poisoning From a Single Drug Overdose: Four Reported Cases.

PubMed

Sakai, Kentaro; Saito, Kazuyuki; Takada, Aya; Hikiji, Wakako; Kikuchi, Yosuke; Fukunaga, Tatsushige

2018-03-01

Brotizolam is a short-acting hypnotic in the benzodiazepine family, and fatal poisonings by an overdose of brotizolam are rare. This report describes 4 cases of deaths associated with brotizolam poisoning from a single drug overdose. The ages ranged from 51 to 90 years, and the postmortem interval between death and tissue sampling was 1.5 to 2.5 days. These deaths were classified as 1 homicide and 3 suicides. The concentration of the brotizolam ranged from 0.05 to 0.21 mg/L in the blood samples. Ethanol, which could cause mild alcohol intoxication, was detected in the blood samples from 2 cases. Postmortem examinations did not find any significant pathologic conditions, except for a case of death by drowning in a bathtub due to brotizolam poisoning. These 4 cases suggest that a brotizolam overdose should not be underestimated in terms of its fatal effects, particularly when situations involve alcohol intoxication, injury subsequent to the poisoning, or underlying medical conditions including aging.

Risk Factors for Fatal Hyperglycaemia Confirmed by Forensic Postmortem Examination - A Nationwide Cohort in Sweden

PubMed Central

Walz, Lotta; Jönsson, Anna K.; Zilg, Brita; Östgren, Carl Johan; Druid, Henrik

2016-01-01

Aims/Hypothesis The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with confirmed fatal hyperglycaemia, which could predispose potentially preventable deaths in individuals on glucose lowering drugs. Methods A retrospective register-based case-control study conducted on a nationwide cohort with individuals who died due to hyperglycaemia as determined by forensic postmortem examination, in Sweden August 2006 to December 2012. Vitreous glucose was used to diagnose hyperglycaemia postmortem. The forensic findings stored in the National Forensic Medicine Database were linked to nationwide registers. Cases that died due to confirmed hyperglycemia with dispensed glucose lowering drugs were identified and living controls with dispensed glucose lowering drugs were randomly selected in the Swedish prescribed drug register and matched on age and sex. Information on comorbidities, dispensed pharmaceuticals, clinical data and socioeconomic factors were obtained for cases and controls. Adjusted multiple logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors associated with fatal hyperglycaemia. Results During the study period 322 individuals, mostly males (79%) with the mean age of 53.9 years (SD.± 14) died due to confirmed hyperglycaemia. Risk factors for fatal hyperglycaemia included; insulin treatment (OR = 4.40; 95%CI,1.96, 9.85), poor glycaemic control (OR = 2.00 95%CI,1.23, 3.27), inadequate refill-adherence before death (OR = 3.87; 95%CI,1.99, 7.53), microvascular disease (OR = 3.26; 95% CI, 1.84, 5.79), psychiatric illness (OR = 2.30; 95% CI,1.32, 4.01), substance abuse (OR = 8.85; 95%CI,2.34, 35.0) and/or living alone (OR = 2.25; 95%CI,1.21, 4.18). Conclusions/Interpretation Our results demonstrate the importance of clinical attention to poor glycaemic control in subjects with psychosocial problems since it may indicate serious non-adherence, which consequently could lead to fatal hyperglycaemia. PMID:27768720

Atrioventricular valvular anomalies and their role in the etiopathogenesis of cardiorespiratory syndrome in farmed common foxes (Vulpes vulpes).

PubMed

Noszczyk-Nowak, Agnieszka; Piasecki, Tomasz; Cepiel, Alicja; Nowak, Marcin; Janus, Izabela; Pasławska, Urszula

2016-01-01

Cardiorespiratory syndrome of common foxes is associated with a mortality rate ranging from 2.1% to 20%. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of cardiac abnormalities in common foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Polish farms with a history of cardiorespiratory syndrome. The prevalence of cardiac abnormalities in common foxes from a Polish farm with a history of cardiorespiratory syndrome was assessed as well as morphological examination of 60 heart specimens from clinically healthy animals. In addition, 38 foxes were examined echocardiographically and subjected to postmortem examination. Atrioventricular valvular abnormalities were found in 57 out of the 98 (58%) analyzed hearts. The abnormalities of the mitral valve documented in more than 20% of the foxes in involved tendinous chords (completely lacking or shortened), papillary muscles and mitral cusps associated with both insufficiency and stenosis of the left atrioventricular orifice. Abnormalities of the tricuspid valve included significant shortening of the tendinous chords and thickening of the valve cusps with the impairment of their mobility. The results of the echocardiographic and postmortem examination were consistent in 79% of the cases. The specimens collected from animals with and without atrioventricular valvular anomalies did not differ significantly in terms of cardiomyocyte width, number of inflammatory cells, adipose tissue content and presence of polychromatic cardiomyocytes. Congenital atrioventricular valvular defects may be involved in the etiology of cardiorespiratory syndrome in common foxes, and echocardiography can be used as a measure of stock's health and a criterion for selection for mating.

Microwave hyperthermia-induced blood-brain barrier alterations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, J.C.; Lin, M.F.

We have studied the interaction of microwaves with the blood-brain barrier in Wistar rats. Indwelling catheters were placed in the femoral vein. Evans blue in isotonic saline was used as a visual indicator of barrier permeation. Irradiation with pulsed 2450-MHz microwaves for 20 min at average power densities of 0.5 to 2600 mW/cm/sup 2/, which resulted in average specific absorption rages (SARs) of 0.04 to 200 mW/g in the brain, did not produce staining, except in regions that normally are highly permeable. When the incident power density was increased to 3000 mW/cm/sup 2/ (SAR of 240 mW/g), extravasation of Evansmore » blue could be seen in the cortex, hippocampus, and midbrain. The rectal temperature, as monitored by a copper-constantan thermocouple, showed a maximum increase of less than 1.0/sup o/C. the brain temperature recorded in a similar group of animals using a non-field-perturbing thermistor exceeded 43/sup o/C. At the higher power density the extravasation depended on the irradition and euthanization times. In one series of experiments, rats were irradiated at 3000 mW/cm/sup 2/ for 5, 10, 15, and 20 min. Immediately after irradiation all except the 5-min animals exhibited increased permeability in some regions of the brain. Brains of rats euthanized 30 min after irradiation were free of Evans blue, while those euthanized 10 and 20 min postirradiation showed significant dye staining but with less intensity than those euthanized immediately after irradiation.« less

Interstrain Differences in CO2-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage in Mice.

PubMed

Fisher, Suhrim; Burgess, Winona L; Hines, Kenneth D; Mason, Gary L; Owiny, James R

2016-11-01

Carbon dioxide is the most commonly used gas for euthanasia of rodents. The current AVMA Guidelines recommend slowly filling the container with CO2 (SF) and now indicate that the practice of placing conscious animals in containers prefilled with CO2 (PF) is unacceptable. An investigator noted pulmonary hemorrhage (PH) in BALB/c mice euthanized by SF that was not observed after PF. Here we evaluated whether the air-displacement rate (SF compared with PF) influenced the development of PH or nasal hemorrhage (NH) in 2 commonly used mouse strains. In addition, we investigated the prevalence of PH and NH in mice euthanized by isoflurane overdose (IO). Male and female (age groups, 6 wk and 6 mo) BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice were euthanized by SF or PF. In addition, 6-mo-old BALB/c male mice were euthanized by IO. Lung, nasal turbinates, brain, and reproductive organs were collected for gross and histologic evaluation and scored for degree of hemorrhage (score, 0 to 3). Severity of hemorrhage did not differ according to mouse age or sex. PH in BALB/c mice was more severe after SF than PF, and SF and PF induced more severe PH in BALB/c than in C57BL/6 mice. PH in 6-mo-old male BALB/c mice was more severe after SF than IO. Neither SF, PF, nor IO influenced the prevalence of NH in any group. This study demonstrates that the method of euthanasia may need to be altered depending on the mouse strain used.

Classifying serial killers.

PubMed

Promish, D I; Lester, D

1999-11-08

We attempted to match the appearance and demeanor of 27 serial killers to the postmortem 'signatures' found on their victims' bodies. Our results suggest that a link may exist between postmortem signatures and two complementary appearance-demeanor types.

Effects of tea polyphenols on the post-mortem integrity of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) fillet proteins.

PubMed

Zhao, Jin; Lv, Weijin; Wang, Jinlin; Li, Jianrong; Liu, Xiaoxiang; Zhu, Junli

2013-12-01

Tea polyphenols (TP) are known to be important for the post-mortem deterioration of fish muscle and can enhance food quality. To shed light on the influence of TP on the status of large yellow croaker muscle proteins, control and treated fillets (0.1% TP, 0.2% TP and 0.3% TP, w/v) were analysed periodically for myofibrillar protein functional properties (Ca(2+)-ATPase activity, surface hydrophobicity, total sulfhydryl content, emulsion stability index and rheological behaviour). Degradation of the myofibrillar protein myosin could be clearly observed; several proteins were also observed to vary in abundance following post-mortem storage for 25 days. The present study offers new evidence that TP have an effective impact on muscle protein integrity post-mortem. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unusual injury pattern in a case of postmortem animal depredation by a domestic German shepherd.

PubMed

Tsokos, M; Schulz, F; Püschel, K

1999-09-01

A case is presented of a 38-year-old woman with skeletization of the head, neck, and collar region and a circumscribed 26-cm x 19-cm defect on the left chest with sole removal of the heart through the opened pericardium but undamaged mediastinum and lungs. The injuries showed V-shaped puncture wounds and superficial claw-induced scratches adjacent to the wound margins that have been described as typical for postmortem animal depredation of carnivore origin and derived from postmortem animal damage by the woman's domestic German shepherd. The circumscribed destruction of the left chest with unusual opening of the pericardium is explained by the physiognomy of the muzzle of the German shepherd and differs from previous reports. Any case presented as postmortem animal mutilation should be viewed with skepticism and undergo a full autopsy.

Concurrent gall bladder, liver lobe torsion, and bile peritonitis in a German shepherd dog 2 months after gastric dilatation/volvulus gastropexy and splenectomy.

PubMed

Tubby, Kurtis G

2013-08-01

Postmortem examination of a 7-year-old German shepherd dog which had gastric dilatation/volvulus and splenectomy 2 months earlier revealed that the right middle and quadrate liver lobes were diffusely congested and torsed. The gall bladder was grossly distended and torsed along its long axis and there was evidence of bile peritonitis.

Concurrent gall bladder, liver lobe torsion, and bile peritonitis in a German shepherd dog 2 months after gastric dilatation/volvulus gastropexy and splenectomy

PubMed Central

Tubby, Kurtis G.

2013-01-01

Postmortem examination of a 7-year-old German shepherd dog which had gastric dilatation/volvulus and splenectomy 2 months earlier revealed that the right middle and quadrate liver lobes were diffusely congested and torsed. The gall bladder was grossly distended and torsed along its long axis and there was evidence of bile peritonitis. PMID:24155480

Unusual presentation of cyathostomiasis in an adult Thoroughbred mare.

PubMed

Zakrajsek, Emily

2017-11-01

A recently purchased 16-year-old Thoroughbred mare with a history of recurrent colic and low body weight, also had lameness in 3 limbs, pain at the sacro-iliac joint, and increased corneal opacity of the right eye. Response to supportive therapy was poor and euthanasia was elected. A postmortem examination and histopathology confirmed cyathostomiasis within the large colon and cecum and chronic anterior uveitis of the right eye.

Immunohistochemistry of catecholamines in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system with special regard to fatal hypothermia and hyperthermia.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Takaki; Yoshida, Chiemi; Michiue, Tomomi; Perdekamp, Markus Grosse; Pollak, Stefan; Maeda, Hitoshi

2010-05-01

Catecholamines are involved in various stress responses. Previous studies have suggested applicability of the postmortem blood levels to investigations of physical stress responses or toxic/hyperthermic neuronal dysfunction during death process. The present study investigated cellular immunopositivity for adrenaline (Adr), noradrenaline (Nad) and dopamine (DA) in the hypothalamus, adenohypophysis and adrenal medulla with special regard to fatal hypothermia (cold exposure) and hyperthermia (heat stroke) to examine forensic pathological significance. Medicolegal autopsy cases (n=290, within 3 days postmortem) were examined. The proportions of catecholamine (Adr, Nad and DA)-positive cells (% positivity) in each tissue were quantitatively estimated using immunostaining. Hyperthermia cases (n=12) showed a lower neuronal DA-immunopositivity in the hypothalamus than hypothermia cases (n=20), while Nad- and DA-immunopositivities in the adrenal medulla were higher for hyperthermia than for hypothermia. Rates of Nad-immunopositivity in the adrenal medulla were very low for hypothermia. No such difference between hypothermia and hyperthermia was seen in the adenohypophysis. In hypothermia cases, cellular Nad-immunopositivity in the adrenal medulla correlated with the Nad level in cerebrospinal fluid (r=0.591, p<0.01). These observations suggest a characteristic immunohistochemical pattern of systemic stress response to fatal hypothermia and hyperthermia, involving the hypothalamus and adrenal medulla. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the efficiency of nested q-PCR in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex directly from tuberculosis-suspected lesions in post-mortem macroscopic inspections of bovine carcasses slaughtered in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

PubMed

Carvalho, Ricardo César Tavares; Furlanetto, Leone Vinícius; Maruyama, Fernanda Harumy; Araújo, Cristina Pires de; Barros, Sílvia Letícia Bomfim; Ramos, Carlos Alberto do Nascimento; Dutra, Valéria; Araújo, Flábio Ribeiro de; Paschoalin, Vânia Margaret Flosi; Nakazato, Luciano; Figueiredo, Eduardo Eustáquio de Souza

2015-08-01

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis, a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). The quick and specific detection of this species is of extreme importance, since BTB may cause economic impacts, in addition to presenting imminent risks to human health. In the present study a nested real-time PCR test (nested q-PCR) was used in post-mortem evaluations to assess cattle carcasses with BTB-suspected lesions. A total of 41,193 cattle slaughtered in slaughterhouses located in the state of Mato Grosso, were examined. Of the examined animals, 198 (0.48%) showed BTB-suspected lesions. M. bovis was isolated in 1.5% (3/198) of the samples. Multiplex-PCR detected MTC in 7% (14/198) of the samples. The nested q-PCR test detected MTC in 28% (56/198) of the BTB-suspected lesions, demonstrating higher efficiency when compared to the multiplex-PCR and conventional microbiology. Nested q-PCR can therefore be used as a complementary test in the national program for control and eradication of bovine tuberculosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lobar intracerebral haematomas: Neuropathological and 7.0-tesla magnetic resonance imaging evaluation.

PubMed

De Reuck, Jacques; Cordonnier, Charlotte; Deramecourt, Vincent; Auger, Florent; Durieux, Nicolas; Leys, Didier; Pasquier, Florence; Maurage, Claude-Alain; Bordet, Regis

2016-10-15

The Boston criteria for cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) need validation by neuropathological examination in patients with lobar cerebral haematomas (LCHs). In "vivo" 1.5-tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unreliable to detect the age-related signal changes in LCHs. This post-mortem study investigates the validity of the Boston criteria in brains with LCHs and the signal changes during their time course with 7.0-tesla MRI. Seventeen CAA brains including 26 LCHs were compared to 13 non-CAA brains with 14 LCHs. The evolution of the signal changes with time was examined in 25 LCHs with T2 and T2* 7.0-tesla MRI. In the CAA group LCHs were predominantly located in the parieto-occipital lobes. Also white matter changes were more severe with more cortical microinfarcts and cortical microbleeds. On MRI there was a progressive shift of the intensity of the hyposignal from the haematoma core in the acute stage to the boundaries later on. During the residual stage the hyposignal mildly decreased in the boundaries with an increase of the superficial siderosis and haematoma core collapse. Our post-mortem study of LCHs confirms the validity of the Boston criteria for CAA. Also 7.0-tesla MRI allows staging the age of the LCHs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acute collective gas poisoning at work in a manure storage tank.

PubMed

Żaba, Czesław; Marcinkowski, Jerzy T; Wojtyła, Andrzej; Tężyk, Artur; Tobolski, Jarosław; Zaba, Zbigniew

2011-01-01

Cases of deaths in manure or septic tanks are rare in legal-medical practice, more frequently as unfortunate occupational accidents. Poisoning with toxic gases, especially with hydrogen sulfide, is reported as the cause of death, while the exhaustion of oxygen in the air is omitted with the simultaneous excess of carbon dioxide. In such cases, determination of the direct cause of death constitutes a big problem because post-mortem examination does not reveal the specific changes. A case of acute collective poisoning by gases in a manure storage tank is presented of 5 agricultural workers, 2 of whom died. While explaining the cause of poisoning and deaths, toxicological blood tests were performed in the victims of the accident, as well as gases inside the manure storage tank. The post-mortem examinations and toxicological blood tests performed did not allow determination of the direct cause of death. Toxicological tests of gases from inside the manure tank showed a very low concentration of oxygen, with a simultaneous very high concentration of carbon dioxide, and a considerable level of hydrogen sulfide. The cause of fainting of three and deaths of two workers was not the poisoning with hydrogen sulfide, but oxygen deficiency in the air of the tank.

Bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis in dogs: a retrospective study of 23 cases (1990-1999).

PubMed

Radaelli, Simona T; Platt, Simon R

2002-01-01

The clinical records of 23 dogs (1990-1999) with histopathologically confirmed bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis were evaluated retrospectively. No breed, age, sex, or weight predisposition was found. All the dogs presented with clinical signs of a brain lesion, whereas 5 of 23 had neck pain. Pyrexia was detected in 11 of 23 dogs on admission. CBCs revealed neutrophilic leucocytosis in 7 of 21 dogs and thrombocytopenia in 3 of 21 dogs. The serum chemistry profiles were abnormal in 15 of 21 dogs. The results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis were abnormal in 13 of 14 dogs and aerobic CSF culture was positive for bacteria in 1of 8 samples. At postmortem examination, the lesions were localized to the central nervous system. Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, and Klebsiella spp were the most frequently isolated bacteria from cultures collected at postmortem examination. Twelve papers reporting 51 total clinical cases of canine bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis were reviewed. The clinical signs and results of the CBC, serum chemistry, blood culture, and CSF analysis were collated and compared with those of this study. The results of the CSF analysis in this study were similar to those in the literature. CSF cultures documented in the literature were positive for Staphylococcus, Pasteurella. Actinomyces, Nocardia spp, and various anaerobic species including Peptostreptococcus, Eubacterium, and Bacteroides spp.

Evaluation of criteria for the postmortem diagnosis of mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine.

PubMed Central

Armstrong, C H; Scheidt, A B; Thacker, H L; Runnels, L J; Freeman, M J

1984-01-01

Ten swine from each of five herds believed to be affected with mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine and ten swine from each of five herds believed to be mycoplasmal pneumonia-free were selected for postmortem study. Lungs from the 100 swine were examined; grossly and microscopically for lesions typical of mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine and culturally and by an indirect immunofluorescent procedure for the presence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Nineteen of the lungs had both gross and microscopic lesions typical of mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine and 13 (68%) of these were infected, i.e. were culturally and/or indirect immunofluorescent positive. Absence of gross lesions did not prove freedom from mycoplasmal pneumonia, 14 of 73 (19%) grossly normal lungs were found to be infected with M. hyopneumoniae. Comparison of the indirect immunofluorescent and cultural examination, as methods of diagnosing mycoplasma pneumonia, revealed that neither procedure alone was reliable in the case of negative results. Ten lungs were indirect immunofluorescent negative and culturally positive and seven were culturally negative and indirect immunofluorescent positive (11 lungs were positive by both procedures). It was concluded that a definitive diagnosis of mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine requires that M. hyopneumoniae be visualized in indirect immunofluorescent stained lung sections or that it be recovered culturally. PMID:6434167

Effects of postmortem aging and USDA quality grade on Warner-Bratzler shear force values of seventeen individual beef muscles.

PubMed

Gruber, S L; Tatum, J D; Scanga, J A; Chapman, P L; Smith, G C; Belk, K E

2006-12-01

Forty USDA Select and 40 upper two-thirds USDA Choice beef carcasses were used to determine the effects of postmortem aging on tenderness of 17 individual beef muscles. Biceps femoris-long head, complexus, gluteus medius, infraspinatus, longissimus dorsi, psoas major, rectus femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, serratus ventralis, spinalis dorsi, supraspinatus, tensor fasciae latae, teres major, triceps brachii-long head, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis muscles were removed from each carcass. Seven steaks (2.54-cm thick) were cut from every muscle, and each steak was assigned to one of the following postmortem aging periods: 2, 4, 6, 10, 14, 21, or 28 d postmortem. After completion of the designated aging period, steaks were removed from storage (2 degrees C, never frozen), cooked to a peak internal temperature of 71 degrees C, and evaluated using Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF). Analysis of WBSF revealed a 3-way interaction (P = 0.004) among individual muscle, USDA quality grade, and postmortem aging period. With the exception of the Select teres major, WBSF of all muscles (both quality grades) decreased with increasing time of postmortem storage. Nonlinear regression was used to characterize the extent (aging response) and rate of decrease in WBSF from 2 through 28 d postmortem for each muscle within each quality grade. In general, WBSF of upper two-thirds Choice muscles decreased more rapidly from 2 to 10 d postmortem than did corresponding Select muscles. Muscles that had greater aging responses generally had greater 2-d WBSF values. The upper two-thirds Choice psoas major, serratus ventralis, and vastus lateralis muscles required similar aging times to complete a majority of the aging response (< or =0.1 kg of aging response remaining) compared with analogous Select muscles. The upper two-thirds Choice complexus, gluteus medius, semitendinosus, triceps brachii-long head, and vastus medialis muscles required 4 to 6 d less time to complete a majority of the aging response than did comparable Select muscles. Aging times for Select biceps femoris-long head, infraspinatus, longissimus dorsi, rectus femoris, semimembranosus, spinalis dorsi, supraspinatus, and tensor fasciae latae muscles were > or =7 d longer than those for corresponding upper two-thirds Choice muscles. Results from this study suggest that muscle-to-muscle tenderness differences depend on quality grade and aging time and that postmortem aging should be managed with respect to individual muscle and USDA quality grade.

Technical note: validation of a model for online classification of US Select beef carcasses for longissimus tenderness using visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy.

PubMed

Shackelford, S D; Wheeler, T L; Koohmaraie, M

2012-03-01

The present experiment was conducted to provide a validation of a previously developed model for online classification of US Select carcasses for LM tenderness based on visible and near-infrared (VISNIR) spectroscopy and to determine if the accuracy of VISNIR-based tenderness classification could be enhanced by making measurements after postmortem aging. Spectroscopy was conducted online, during carcass grading, at a large-scale commercial fed beef-processing facility, and the strip loin was obtained from the left side of US Select carcasses (n = 467). Slice shear force (SSF) was measured on fresh steaks at 2 and 14 d postmortem. Online VISNIR tenderness classes differed in mean SSF values at both 2 d (29.4 vs. 33.6 kg) and 14 d (18.0 vs. 21.2 kg) postmortem (P < 10(-7)). Online VISNIR tenderness classes differed in both the percentage of carcasses with LM SSF values greater than 40 kg at 2 d postmortem (5.1 vs. 21.0%; P < 10(-6)) and the percentage of carcasses with LM SSF values greater than 25 kg at 14 d postmortem (6.8 vs. 23.2%; P < 10(-5)). Whereas 15.0% of the carcasses sampled for this experiment had LM SSF values greater than 25 kg at 14 d postmortem, only 6.8% of the carcasses classified as tender by VISNIR had LM SSF values greater than 25 kg. All the carcasses sampled that had LM SSF values greater than 35 kg at 14 d postmortem were accurately classified as tough by VISNIR. Before measurement of SSF on d 14, VISNIR spectroscopy was conducted on the SSF steak. Tenderness classes based on d 14 VISNIR spectra differed both in mean SSF value at 14 d postmortem (17.7 vs. 21.6 kg; P < 10(-11)) and the percentage of carcasses with LM SSF values greater than 25 kg at 14 d postmortem (7.3 vs. 22.7%; P < 10(-5)). These data support our previous work showing that VISNIR spectroscopy can be used to classify US Select carcasses noninvasively for LM tenderness, and the results establish that this technology could also be applied to aged US Select strip loins. This technology would allow packing companies and other segments of the beef marketing chain to identify US Select carcasses or strip loins that excel in LM tenderness for use in branded beef programs.

Evaluation of Isoflurane Overdose for Euthanasia of Neonatal Mice.

PubMed

Seymour, Travis L; Nagamine, Claude M

2016-01-01

Neonatal mice (that is, pups younger than 6 d) must be exposed to CO2 for as long as 50 min to achieve euthanasia. Alternatively, other inhalant anesthetic agents have been used to euthanize laboratory rodent species. We investigated the efficacy of isoflurane at saturated vapor pressure to euthanize neonatal mice. Neonatal mice (n = 76; age, 1 or 2 d) were exposed to isoflurane in a sealed, quart-size (0.95-L) plastic bag at room temperature. Righting and withdrawal reflexes were absent in less than 2 min. After 30 min of exposure to isoflurane, pups were removed and monitored for recovery. All pups were cyanotic and showed no detectable signs of life when they were removed from the bag. However, after 30 to 120 min after removal from the bag, 24% of isoflurane-overexposed pups began gasping and then resumed normal respiration and regained a normal pink coloration. These results demonstrate that isoflurane overexposure at saturated vapor pressure for 30 min is insufficient to euthanize neonatal mice and that isoflurane overexposure must be followed by a secondary means of euthanasia.

Evaluation of Isoflurane Overdose for Euthanasia of Neonatal Mice

PubMed Central

Seymour, Travis L; Nagamine, Claude M

2016-01-01

Neonatal mice (that is, pups younger than 6 d) must be exposed to CO2 for as long as 50 min to achieve euthanasia. Alternatively, other inhalant anesthetic agents have been used to euthanize laboratory rodent species. We investigated the efficacy of isoflurane at saturated vapor pressure to euthanize neonatal mice. Neonatal mice (n = 76; age, 1 or 2 d) were exposed to isoflurane in a sealed, quart-size (0.95-L) plastic bag at room temperature. Righting and withdrawal reflexes were absent in less than 2 min. After 30 min of exposure to isoflurane, pups were removed and monitored for recovery. All pups were cyanotic and showed no detectable signs of life when they were removed from the bag. However, after 30 to 120 min after removal from the bag, 24% of isoflurane-overexposed pups began gasping and then resumed normal respiration and regained a normal pink coloration. These results demonstrate that isoflurane overexposure at saturated vapor pressure for 30 min is insufficient to euthanize neonatal mice and that isoflurane overexposure must be followed by a secondary means of euthanasia. PMID:27177567

Postmortem ICD interrogation in mode of death classification.

PubMed

Nikolaidou, Theodora; Johnson, Miriam J; Ghosh, Justin M; Marincowitz, Carl; Shah, Saumil; Lammiman, Michael J; Schilling, Richard J; Clark, Andrew L

2018-04-01

The definition of sudden death due to arrhythmia relies on the time interval between onset of symptoms and death. However, not all sudden deaths are due to arrhythmia. In patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), postmortem device interrogation may help better distinguish the mode of death compared to a time-based definition alone. This study aims to assess the proportion of "sudden" cardiac deaths in patients with an ICD that have confirmed arrhythmia. We conducted a literature search for studies using postmortem ICD interrogation and a time-based classification of the mode of death. A modified QUADAS-2 checklist was used to assess risk of bias in individual studies. Outcome data were pooled where sufficient data were available. Our search identified 22 studies undertaken between 1982 and 2015 with 23,600 participants. The pooled results (excluding studies with high risk of bias) suggest that ventricular arrhythmias are present at the time of death in 76% of "sudden" deaths (95% confidence interval [CI] 67-85; range 42-88). Postmortem ICD interrogation identifies 24% of "sudden" deaths to be nonarrhythmic. Postmortem device interrogation should be considered in all cases of unexplained sudden cardiac death. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

14. VIEW IN THE WEST OPERATING GALLERY OF POSTMORTEM CELL ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. VIEW IN THE WEST OPERATING GALLERY OF POST-MORTEM CELL WORK STATION AND MANIPULATOR ARMS. - Nevada Test Site, Engine Maintenance Assembly & Disassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Mortality in East African shorthorn zebu cattle under one year: predictors of infectious-disease mortality.

PubMed

Thumbi, Samuel M; Bronsvoort, Mark B M de C; Kiara, Henry; Toye, P G; Poole, Jane; Ndila, Mary; Conradie, Ilana; Jennings, Amy; Handel, Ian G; Coetzer, J A W; Steyl, Johan; Hanotte, Olivier; Woolhouse, Mark E J

2013-09-08

Infectious livestock diseases remain a major threat to attaining food security and are a source of economic and livelihood losses for people dependent on livestock for their livelihood. Knowledge of the vital infectious diseases that account for the majority of deaths is crucial in determining disease control strategies and in the allocation of limited funds available for disease control. Here we have estimated the mortality rates in zebu cattle raised in a smallholder mixed farming system during their first year of life, identified the periods of increased risk of death and the risk factors for calf mortality, and through analysis of post-mortem data, determined the aetiologies of calf mortality in this population. A longitudinal cohort study of 548 zebu cattle was conducted between 2007 and 2010. Each calf was followed during its first year of life or until lost from the study. Calves were randomly selected from 20 sub-locations and recruited within a week of birth from different farms over a 45 km radius area centered on Busia in the Western part of Kenya. The data comprised of 481.1 calf years of observation. Clinical examinations, sample collection and analysis were carried out at 5 week intervals, from birth until one year old. Cox proportional hazard models with frailty terms were used for the statistical analysis of risk factors. A standardized post-mortem examination was conducted on all animals that died during the study and appropriate samples collected. The all-cause mortality rate was estimated at 16.1 (13.0-19.2; 95% CI) per 100 calf years at risk. The Cox models identified high infection intensity with Theileria spp., the most lethal of which causes East Coast Fever disease, infection with Trypanosome spp., and helminth infections as measured by Strongyle spp. eggs per gram of faeces as the three important infections statistically associated with infectious disease mortality in these calves. Analysis of post-mortem data identified East Coast Fever as the main cause of death accounting for 40% of all deaths, haemonchosis 12% and heartwater disease 7%. The findings demonstrate the impact of endemic parasitic diseases in indigenous animals expected to be well adapted against disease pressures. Additionally, agreement between results of Cox models using data from simple diagnostic procedures and results from post-mortem analysis underline the potential use such diagnostic data to reduce calf mortality. The control strategies for the identified infectious diseases have been discussed.

Clostridium septicum myositis in a western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).

PubMed

Fontenot, Deidre K; Terrell, Scott P; Miller, Michele; Robbins, Patricia K; Stetter, Mark; Weber, Martha

2005-09-01

A 10-yr-old male gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) with a history of conspecific bite wounds was evaluated for acute onset of depression, anorexia, and right hemiparesis. The animal was immobilized for diagnostic examination and treatment for suspected toxic shock from a necrotizing, emphysematous wound infection, but was euthanized due to complications during recovery. Gross and histopathologic examination revealed acute necrotizing myositis, fasciitis, cellulitis, and emphysema in the affected wound area, with large numbers of large Gram-positive rods among necrotic muscle fibers. Severe pulmonary edema with airways containing fibrin, acute hemorrhage in multiple body sites, thrombosis in blood vessels in the skeletal muscle, liver, and lung, and lymph node hyperplasia with lymphoid necrosis and hemorrhage. Immunohistochemical fluorescent antibody staining of muscle from the wound site was positive for

Soft tissue sarcomas in the African hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris): microscopic and immunohistologic study of three cases.

PubMed

Ramos-Vara, J A

2001-09-01

Three soft tissue tumors from 2 female hedgehogs were examined microscopically and immunohistochemically. Two tumors involved haired skin and the third one was vaginal. Microscopically, the cutaneous tumors had features of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), whereas the vaginal tumor was classified only as a spindle cell sarcoma. Immunohistochemically, all 3 tumors were strongly positive for vimentin and strongly to moderately positive for CD10 and neuron-specific enolase but did not stain with antibody to S100 protein, an antigen typically present in human MPNST The cutaneous tumor from hedgehog no. 1 was examined ultrastructurally and the neoplastic cells resembled fibroblasts. Hedgehog no. 1 was euthanized at the time of the biopsy. The outcome of the other hedgehog was unknown.

Distribution of Delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-Nor-9-Carboxy-Delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Acid in Postmortem Biological Fluids and Tissues From Pilots Fatally Injured in Aviation Accidents

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

classified as current marijuana ( Cannabis sativa) users in the United States and 5.4 million people aged 12 and older used marijuana on a daily or almost...report from the European Union, cannabis use is common in many parts of the world.3 As a result of such widespread marijuana use and its well...knowledge regarding the postmortem distribution of cannabi - noids in humans primarily because cannabinoid testing is not routine in many postmortem

Estimation of postmortem interval based on colony development time for Anoplolepsis longipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

PubMed

Goff, M L; Win, B H

1997-11-01

The postmortem interval for a set of human remains discovered inside a metal tool box was estimated using the development time required for a stratiomyid fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), Hermetia illucens, in combination with the time required to establish a colony of the ant Anoplolepsis longipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) capable of producing alate (winged) reproductives. This analysis resulted in a postmortem interval estimate of 14 + months, with a period of 14-18 months being the most probable time interval. The victim had been missing for approximately 18 months.

Venous air embolism: An under-recognised entity in blunt-force trauma and the importance of radiology.

PubMed

du Plessis, Marna; du Toit-Prinsloo, Lorraine

2017-04-01

Air embolism (AE) is considered a rare event and can be either iatrogenic or traumatic. Various post-mortem methods to detect AE exist, of which radiology is preferred. The presence of air in the heart can be demonstrated using special dissection techniques where the heart is opened under water or by needle puncture from a water-filled syringe. Three cases of blunt-force head injury are presented herein, with AE being diagnosed by conventional radiography using a Lodox Statscan® full-body digital X-ray machine in all cases. This case series demonstrates that AE due to blunt-force trauma to the head and sinuses might be under-recognised in the forensic post-mortem setting. It also highlights the importance of radiology in diagnosing AE post-mortem, especially where the results of post-mortem techniques might be unsatisfactory.

Storm-Related Postmortem Damage to Skeletal Remains.

PubMed

Maijanen, Heli; Wilson-Taylor, Rebecca J; Jantz, Lee Meadows

2016-05-01

In April 2011, human skeletons were exposed to heavy storms at the outdoor Anthropology Research Facility (ARF) in Knoxville, Tennessee. Of the approximate 125 skeletons at the ARF in April 2011, 30 donations exhibited postmortem damage that could be attributed to the storms. At least 20 of the affected donations exhibit postmortem damage clearly associated with hailstones due to the oval shape and similar small size of the defects observed. The irregular shape and larger size of other defects may be a product of other falling objects (e.g., tree branches) associated with the storms. Storm-related damage was observed throughout the skeleton, with the most commonly damaged skeletal elements being the scapula and ilium, but more robust elements (i.e., femora and tibiae) also displayed characteristic features of hailstone damage. Thus, hailstone damage should be considered when forensic practitioners observe unusual postmortem damage in skeletal remains recovered from the outdoor context. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The Sun Health Research Institute Brain Donation Program: Description and Eexperience, 1987–2007

PubMed Central

Sue, Lucia I.; Walker, Douglas G.; Roher, Alex E.; Lue, LihFen; Vedders, Linda; Connor, Donald J.; Sabbagh, Marwan N.; Rogers, Joseph

2008-01-01

The Brain Donation Program at Sun Health Research Institute has been in continual operation since 1987, with over 1000 brains banked. The population studied primarily resides in the retirement communities of northwest metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona. The Institute is affiliated with Sun Health, a nonprofit community-owned and operated health care provider. Subjects are enrolled prospectively to allow standardized clinical assessments during life. Funding comes primarily from competitive grants. The Program has made short postmortem brain retrieval a priority, with a 2.75-h median postmortem interval for the entire collection. This maximizes the utility of the resource for molecular studies; frozen tissue from approximately 82% of all cases is suitable for RNA studies. Studies performed in-house have shown that, even with very short postmortem intervals, increasing delays in brain retrieval adversely affect RNA integrity and that cerebrospinal fluid pH increases with postmortem interval but does not predict tissue viability. PMID:18347928

Field trial of efficacy of the Leish-tec® vaccine against canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum in an endemic area with high transmission rates.

PubMed

Grimaldi, Gabriel; Teva, Antonio; Dos-Santos, Claudiney B; Santos, Fernanda Nunes; Pinto, Israel de-Souza; Fux, Blima; Leite, Gustavo Rocha; Falqueto, Aloísio

2017-01-01

Because domestic dogs are reservoir hosts for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil, one of the approaches used to reduce human disease incidence is to cull infected dogs. However, the results of controlled intervention trials based on serological screening of dogs and killing of seropositive animals are equivocal. A prophylactic vaccine to protect dogs from being infectious to the sand fly vector could be an effective strategy to provide sustained control. Here, we investigated whether a currently licensed commercial subunit rA2 protein-saponin vaccine (Leish-tec®) had an additional effect to dog culling on reducing the canine infectious populations. This prospective study was conducted in an L. infantum highly endemic area of southeast Brazil. At the onset of the intervention, all of the eligible dogs received through subcutaneous route a three-dose vaccine course at 21-day intervals and a booster on month 12. For the purpose of comparison, newly recruited healthy dogs were included as the exposed control group. To ascertain vaccine-induced protection, dogs were screened on clinical and serological criteria every 6 months for a 2-year follow-up period. Antibody-based tests and histopathological examination of post-mortem tissue specimens from euthanized animals were used as a marker of infection. The standardized vaccine regime, apart from being safe, was immunogenic as immunized animals responded with a pronounced production of anti-A2-specific IgG antibodies. It should be noted the mean seroconversion time for infection obtained among immunized exposed dogs (~ 18 months), which was twice as high as that for unvaccinated ones (~ 9 months). After two transmission cycles completed, the cumulative incidence of infection did differ significantly (P = 0.016) between the vaccinated (27%) and unvaccinated (42%) dogs. However, the expected efficacy for the vaccine in inducing clinical protection was not evident since 43% of vaccine recipients developed disease over time. Our estimates also indicated that immunoprophylaxis by Leish-tec® vaccine in addition to dog culling might not have an impact on bringing down the incidence of canine infection with L. infantum in areas of high transmission rates. Leish-tec® as a prophylactic vaccine showed promise but needs to be further optimized to be effective in dogs under field conditions, and thereby positively impacts human incidence.

Canine adenovirus type 1 in a fennec fox (Vulpes zerda).

PubMed

Choi, Jeong-Won; Lee, Hyun-Kyoung; Kim, Seong-Hee; Kim, Yeon-Hee; Lee, Kyoung-Ki; Lee, Myoung-Heon; Oem, Jae-Ku

2014-12-01

A 10-mo-old female fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) with drooling suddenly died and was examined postmortem. Histologic examination of different tissue samples was performed. Vacuolar degeneration and diffuse fatty change were observed in the liver. Several diagnostic methods were used to screen for canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus, canine influenza virus, canine coronavirus, canine parainfluenza virus, and canine adenovirus (CAdV). Only CAdV type 1 (CAdV-1) was detected in several organs (liver, lung, brain, kidney, spleen, and heart), and other viruses were not found. CAdV-1 was confirmed by virus isolation and nucleotide sequencing.

Autism spectrum disorder: neuropathology and animal models.

PubMed

Varghese, Merina; Keshav, Neha; Jacot-Descombes, Sarah; Warda, Tahia; Wicinski, Bridget; Dickstein, Dara L; Harony-Nicolas, Hala; De Rubeis, Silvia; Drapeau, Elodie; Buxbaum, Joseph D; Hof, Patrick R

2017-10-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a major impact on the development and social integration of affected individuals and is the most heritable of psychiatric disorders. An increase in the incidence of ASD cases has prompted a surge in research efforts on the underlying neuropathologic processes. We present an overview of current findings in neuropathology studies of ASD using two investigational approaches, postmortem human brains and ASD animal models, and discuss the overlap, limitations, and significance of each. Postmortem examination of ASD brains has revealed global changes including disorganized gray and white matter, increased number of neurons, decreased volume of neuronal soma, and increased neuropil, the last reflecting changes in densities of dendritic spines, cerebral vasculature and glia. Both cortical and non-cortical areas show region-specific abnormalities in neuronal morphology and cytoarchitectural organization, with consistent findings reported from the prefrontal cortex, fusiform gyrus, frontoinsular cortex, cingulate cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum and brainstem. The paucity of postmortem human studies linking neuropathology to the underlying etiology has been partly addressed using animal models to explore the impact of genetic and non-genetic factors clinically relevant for the ASD phenotype. Genetically modified models include those based on well-studied monogenic ASD genes (NLGN3, NLGN4, NRXN1, CNTNAP2, SHANK3, MECP2, FMR1, TSC1/2), emerging risk genes (CHD8, SCN2A, SYNGAP1, ARID1B, GRIN2B, DSCAM, TBR1), and copy number variants (15q11-q13 deletion, 15q13.3 microdeletion, 15q11-13 duplication, 16p11.2 deletion and duplication, 22q11.2 deletion). Models of idiopathic ASD include inbred rodent strains that mimic ASD behaviors as well as models developed by environmental interventions such as prenatal exposure to sodium valproate, maternal autoantibodies, and maternal immune activation. In addition to replicating some of the neuropathologic features seen in postmortem studies, a common finding in several animal models of ASD is altered density of dendritic spines, with the direction of the change depending on the specific genetic modification, age and brain region. Overall, postmortem neuropathologic studies with larger sample sizes representative of the various ASD risk genes and diverse clinical phenotypes are warranted to clarify putative etiopathogenic pathways further and to promote the emergence of clinically relevant diagnostic and therapeutic tools. In addition, as genetic alterations may render certain individuals more vulnerable to developing the pathological changes at the synapse underlying the behavioral manifestations of ASD, neuropathologic investigation using genetically modified animal models will help to improve our understanding of the disease mechanisms and enhance the development of targeted treatments.

An audit of the contribution to post-mortem examination diagnosis of individual analyte results obtained from biochemical analysis of the vitreous.

PubMed

Mitchell, Rebecca; Charlwood, Cheryl; Thomas, Sunethra Devika; Bellis, Maria; Langlois, Neil E I

2013-12-01

Biochemical analysis of the vitreous humor from the eye is an accepted accessory test for post-mortem investigation of cause of death. Modern biochemical analyzers allow testing of a range of analytes from a sample. However, it is not clear which analytes should be requested in order to prevent unnecessary testing (and expense). The means and standard deviation of the values obtained from analysis of the vitreous humor for sodium, potassium, chloride, osmolality, glucose, ketones (β-hydroxybutyrate), creatinine, urea, calcium, lactate, and ammonia were calculated from which the contribution of each analyte was reviewed in the context of post-mortem findings and final cause of death. For sodium 32 cases were regarded as high (more than one standard deviation above the mean), from which 9 contributed to post-mortem diagnosis [drowning (4), heat related death (2), diabetic hyperglycemia (2), and dehydration (1)], but 25 low values (greater than one standard deviation below the mean) made no contribution. For chloride 29 high values contributed to 4 cases--3 drowning and 1 heat-related, but these were all previously identified by a high sodium level. There were 29 high and 35 low potassium values, none of which contributed to determining the final cause of death. Of 22 high values of creatinine, 12 contributed to a diagnosis of renal failure. From 32 high values of urea, 18 contributed to 16 cases of renal failure (2 associated with diabetic hyperglycemia), 1 heat-related death, and one case with dehydration. Osmolarity contributed to 12 cases (5 heat-related, 4 diabetes, 2 renal failure, and 1 dehydration) from 36 high values. There was no contribution from 32 high values and 19 low values of calcium and there was no contribution from 4 high and 2 low values of ammonia. There were 11 high values of glucose, which contributed to the diagnosis of 6 cases of diabetic hyperglycemia and 21 high ketone levels contributed to 8 cases: 4 diabetic ketosis, 3 hypothermia, 3 ketosis of unknown cause, and 2 alcohol related deaths. A high lactate was identified in 25 cases, which contributed to 1 case with a diagnosis of metformin toxicity (1), but none of the 22 low lactate values contributed. The results of this audit have been used to reduce vitreous biochemistry test requests for sodium, osmolality, glucose, ketones, urea, and creatinine in most cases. Critical appraisal of each part of the post-mortem process should be undertaken to provide evidence to justify any investigative methods used in an autopsy.

Effect of animal mixing as a stressor on biomarkers of autophagy and oxidative stress during pig muscle maturation.

PubMed

Rubio-González, A; Potes, Y; Illán-Rodríguez, D; Vega-Naredo, I; Sierra, V; Caballero, B; Fàbrega, E; Velarde, A; Dalmau, A; Oliván, M; Coto-Montes, A

2015-07-01

The objective of this work was to study the postmortem evolution of potential biomarkers of autophagy (Beclin 1, LC3-II/LC3-I ratio) and oxidative stress (total antioxidant activity, TAA; superoxide dismutase activity, SOD and catalase activity, CAT) in the Longissimus dorsi muscle of entire male ((Large White×Landrace)×Duroc) pigs subjected to different management treatments that may promote stress, such as mixing unfamiliar animals at the farm and/or during transport and lairage before slaughter. During the rearing period at the farm, five animals were never mixed after the initial formation of the experimental groups (unmixed group at the farm, UF), whereas 10 animals were subjected to a common routine of being mixed with unfamiliar animals (mixed group at the farm, MF). Furthermore, two different treatments were used during the transport and lairage before slaughter: 10 pigs were not mixed (unmixed group during transport and lairage, UTL), whereas five pigs were mixed with unfamiliar animals on the lorry and during lairage (mixed group during transport and lairage, MTL). These mixing treatments were then combined into three pre-slaughter treatments - namely, UF-UTL, MF-UTL and MF-MTL. The results show that MF-UTL and MF-MTL increased significantly the muscle antioxidant defense (TAA, SOD and CAT) at short postmortem times (4 and 8 h; P<0.001), followed by an earlier depletion of the antioxidant activity at 24 h postmortem (P<0.05). We also found that mixing unfamiliar animals, both at the farm and during transport and lairage, triggers postmortem muscle autophagy, which showed an earlier activation (higher expression of Beclin 1 and LC3-II/LC3-I ratio at 4 h postmortem followed by a decreasing pattern of this ratio along first 24 h postmortem) in the muscle tissues of animals from the MF-UTL and MF-MTL groups, as an adaptive strategy of the muscle cells for counteracting induced stress. From these results, we propose that monitoring the evolution of the main biomarkers of autophagy (Beclin 1, LC3-II/LC3-I ratio) and muscle antioxidant defense (TAA, SOD, CAT) in the muscle tissue within the first 24 h postmortem may help the detection of animal stress and its potential effect on the postmortem muscle metabolism.

Case-study of fatal gunshot wounds from non-lethal projectiles.

PubMed

Chowaniec, Czesław; Kobek, Mariusz; Jabłoński, Christian; Kabiesz-Neniczka, Stanisława; Karczewska, Weronika

2008-07-04

The authors present a case of the death of a 60-year-old man shot using rubber projectiles that were fired by a police officer from a Mossberg smooth-bore shotgun in an enclosed space from a distance of a few metres. The post-mortem examination revealed that death had been due to gunshot wounds in the chest which had caused heart and lung damage with subsequent massive internal haemorrhaging.

Unusual presentation of cyathostomiasis in an adult Thoroughbred mare

PubMed Central

Zakrajsek, Emily

2017-01-01

A recently purchased 16-year-old Thoroughbred mare with a history of recurrent colic and low body weight, also had lameness in 3 limbs, pain at the sacro-iliac joint, and increased corneal opacity of the right eye. Response to supportive therapy was poor and euthanasia was elected. A postmortem examination and histopathology confirmed cyathostomiasis within the large colon and cecum and chronic anterior uveitis of the right eye. PMID:29089663

Effect of body mass and melanism on heat balance in Liolaemus lizards of the goetschi clade.

PubMed

Moreno Azócar, Débora Lina; Bonino, Marcelo Fabián; Perotti, María Gabriela; Schulte, James A; Abdala, Cristian Simón; Cruz, Félix Benjamín

2016-04-15

The body temperature of ectotherms depends on the environmental temperatures and behavioral adjustments, but morphology may also have an effect. For example, in colder environments, animals tend to be larger and to show higher thermal inertia, as proposed by Bergmann's rule and the heat balance hypothesis (HBH). Additionally, dark coloration increases solar radiation absorption and should accelerate heat gain (thermal melanism hypothesis, TMH). We tested Bergmann's rule, the HBH and the TMH within the ITALIC! Liolaemus goetschilizard clade, which shows variability in body size and melanic coloration. We measured heating and cooling rates of live and euthanized animals, and tested how morphology and color affect these rates. Live organisms show less variable and faster heating rates compared with cooling rates, suggesting behavioral and/or physiological adjustments. Our results support Bergmann's rule and the HBH, as larger species show slower heating and cooling rates. However, we did not find a clear pattern to support the TMH. The influence of dorsal melanism on heating by radiation was masked by the body size effect in live animals, and results from euthanized individuals also showed no clear effects of melanism on heating rates. Comparison among three groups of live individuals with different degrees of melanism did not clarify the influence of melanism on heating rates. However, when euthanized animals from the same three groups were compared, we observed that darker euthanized animals actually heat faster than lighter ones, favoring the TMH. Although unresolved aspects remain, body size and coloration influenced heat exchange, suggesting complex thermoregulatory strategies in these lizards, probably regulated through physiology and behavior, which may allow these small lizards to inhabit harsh weather environments. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Pilot-Reported Beta-Blockers Identified by Forensic Toxicology Analysis of Postmortem Specimens

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

This study compared beta-blockers reported by pilots with the medications found by postmortem toxicology analysis of specimens received from fatal aviation accidents between 1999 and 2015. Several studies have compared drugs using the standard approa...

Post-mortem diagnosis of chronic Chagas's disease comparative evaluation of three serological tests on pericardial fluid.

PubMed

Lopes, E R; Chapadeiro, E; Batista, S M; Cunha, J G; Rocha, A; Miziara, L; Ribeiro, J U; Patto, R J

1978-01-01

In an attempt to improve the post-mortem diagnosis of Chagas's disease the authors performed haemagglutination tests (HAT), fluorescent Trypanosoma cruzi antibody tests (FAT), and complement fixation tests (CFT) on the pericardial fluid obtained at autopsy of 50 individuals with Chagas's heart disease, and 93 patients in whom this disease was not thought to be present. The results demonstrate that all three tests are efficient for the post-mortem diagnosis of Chagas's disease but suggest that their combined use would detect more cases than would one isolated reaction only.

Association of Postmortem Blood Hemoglobin A1c Levels With Diabetic Conditions in Aviation Accident Pilot Fatalities

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-07-01

A1c ( HbA1c ) at selected time intervals during the 52-day period. Postmortem blood specimens from 34 aviation accident pilot fatalities were also...analyzed. Some of these pilots had a known history of diabetes. Results. HbA1c values in blood from volunteers did not significantly change for up to 52...days. The HbA1c concentration in postmortem blood samples from pilots ranged from 3.9-10.5%. Only one pilot with a HbA1c over 6.0% did not have a

Principles and procedures in forensic toxicology.

PubMed

Wyman, John F

2012-09-01

The principles and procedures employed in a modern forensic toxicology lab are detailed in this review. Aspects of Behavioral and Postmortem toxicology, including certification of analysts and accreditation of labs, chain of custody requirements, typical testing services provided, rationale for specimen selection, and principles of quality assurance are discussed. Interpretation of toxicology results in postmortem specimens requires the toxicologist and pathologist to be cognizant of drug-drug interactions, drug polymorphisms and pharmacogenomics, the gross signs of toxic pathology, postmortem redistribution, confirmation of systemic toxicity in suspected overdoses, the possibility of developed tolerance, and the effects of decomposition on drug concentration.

[Methodology of determination of the time of death and outlooks for the further development].

PubMed

Novikov, P I; Vlasov, A Iu; Shved, E F; Natsentov, E O; Korshunov, N V; Belykh, S A

2004-01-01

A methodological analysis of diagnosing the prescription of death coming (PDC) is described in the paper. Key philosophic fundamentals for further novel and more effective methods of PDC determination are elucidated. Main requirement applicable to postmortem diagnosis are defined. Different methods of modeling the postmortem process are demonstrated by the example of cadaver cooling, i.e. in real time, by analogue computer systems and by mathematic modeling. The traditional empiric and the adaptive approaches are comparatively analyzed in modeling the postmortem processes for the PDC diagnosis. A variety of promising trends for further related research is outlined.

External foam and the post-mortem period in freshwater drowning; results from a retrospective study in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

PubMed

Reijnen, G; Buster, M C; Vos, P J E; Reijnders, U J L

2017-11-01

Determining the time of death of bodies recovered from water can be difficult. A feature of drowning is the presence of external foam. This study describes the presence of external foam in relation to the post-mortem period. The study utilizes a database of death reports dated between January 2011 and July 2016. For bodies recovered from fresh water, the presence or absence of external foam was noted. In this study, 112 death reports are included. Of these reports, 18 mentioned external foam, which account for 16.1% of the entire study population. In the population with a post-mortem period of less than 24 h, external foam was detected in 27.7% of cases. All 18 incidents with external foam had an estimated post-mortem period of less than 24 h. In our study, external foam was only present in freshwater drowning cases with a post-mortem period of less than 24 h. Based on this finding, the presence of external foam may be useful as an additional indicator when estimating the time of death in freshwater drowning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

UV–Vis and ATR–FTIR spectroscopic investigations of postmortem interval based on the changes in rabbit plasma

PubMed Central

Wang, Qi; He, Haijun; Li, Bing; Lin, Hancheng; Zhang, Yinming; Zhang, Ji

2017-01-01

Estimating PMI is of great importance in forensic investigations. Although many methods are used to estimate the PMI, a few investigations focus on the postmortem redistribution. In this study, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) measurement combined with visual inspection indicated a regular diffusion of hemoglobin into plasma after death showing the redistribution of postmortem components in blood. Thereafter, attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy was used to confirm the variations caused by this phenomenon. First, full-spectrum partial least-squares (PLS) and genetic algorithm combined with PLS (GA-PLS) models were constructed to predict the PMI. The performance of GA-PLS model was better than that of full-spectrum PLS model based on its root mean square error (RMSE) of cross-validation of 3.46 h (R2 = 0.95) and the RMSE of prediction of 3.46 h (R2 = 0.94). The investigation on the similarity of spectra between blood plasma and formed elements also supported the role of redistribution of components in spectral changes in postmortem plasma. These results demonstrated that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy coupled with the advanced mathematical methods could serve as a convenient and reliable tool to study the redistribution of postmortem components and estimate the PMI. PMID:28753641

Postmortem dynamic cerebral angiography for detecting aneurysm and bleeding sites in cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage.

PubMed

Inokuchi, Go; Yajima, Daisuke; Hayakawa, Mutsumi; Motomura, Ayumi; Chiba, Fumiko; Torimitsu, Suguru; Makino, Yohsuke; Iwase, Hirotaro

2014-12-01

One of the advantages of postmortem imaging is its ability to obtain diagnostic findings in a non-destructive manner when autopsy is either difficult or may destroy forensic evidence. In recent years, efforts have been made to incorporate computed tomography (CT) based postmortem angiography into forensic pathology; however, it is not currently clear how well the modality can determine sites of bleeding in cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the utility of postmortem cerebral angiography using multi-detector row CT (MDCT) by injecting a contrast medium through a catheter inserted into the internal carotid and vertebral arteries of 10 subarachnoid hemorrhage cases. While postmortem MDCT angiography (PMCTA) was capable of detecting aneurysms in a non-destructive manner, it was sometimes difficult to identify the aneurysm and bleeding sites because of a large amount of contrast medium leaking into the extravascular space. To overcome this problem, we developed the novel contrast imaging method "dynamic cerebral angiography," which involves scanning the same area multiple times while injecting contrast medium to enable real-time observation of the contrasted vasculature. Using multiphase contrast images acquired by this method, we successfully captured the moment when contrast medium leaked from the hemorrhage site. This method will be useful for identifying exact bleeding sites on PMCTA.

Usability of Immunohistochemistry in Forensic Samples With Varying Decomposition.

PubMed

Lesnikova, Iana; Schreckenbach, Marc Niclas; Kristensen, Maria Pihlmann; Papanikolaou, Liv Lindegaard; Hamilton-Dutoit, Stephen

2018-05-24

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is an important diagnostic tool in anatomic and surgical pathology but is used less frequently in forensic pathology. Degradation of tissue because of postmortem decomposition is believed to be a major limiting factor, although it is unclear what impact such degradation actually has on IHC staining validity. This study included 120 forensic autopsy samples of liver, lung, and brain tissues obtained for diagnostic purposes. The time from death to autopsy ranged between 1 and more than 14 days. Samples were prepared using the tissue microarray technique. The antibodies chosen for the study included KL1 (for staining bile duct epithelium), S100 (for staining glial cells and myelin), vimentin (for endothelial cells in cerebral blood vessels), and CD45 (for pulmonary lymphocytes). Slides were evaluated by light microscopy. Immunohistochemistry reactions were scored according to a system based on the extent and intensity of the positive stain. An overall correlation between the postmortem interval and the IHC score for all tissue samples was found. Samples from decedents with a postmortem interval of 1 to 3 days showed positive staining with all antibodies, whereas samples from decedents with a longer postmortem interval showed decreased staining rates. Our results suggest that IHC analysis can be successfully used for postmortem diagnosis in a range of autopsy samples showing lesser degrees of decomposition.

Deaths in triathletes: immersion pulmonary oedema as a possible cause

PubMed Central

Moon, Richard E; Martina, Stefanie D; Peacher, Dionne F; Kraus, William E

2016-01-01

Background/aim To address the question as to whether immersion pulmonary oedema (IPO) may be a common cause of death in triathlons, markers of swimming-induced pulmonary oedema (SIPO) susceptibility were sought in triathletes' postmortem examinations. Methods Deaths while training for or during triathlon events in the USA and Canada from October 2008 to November 2015 were identified, and postmortem reports requested. We assessed obvious causes of death; the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH); comparison with healthy triathletes. Results We identified 58 deaths during the time period of the review, 42 (72.4%) of which occurred during a swim. Of these, 23 postmortem reports were obtained. Five individuals had significant (≥70%) coronary artery narrowing; one each had coronary stents; retroperitoneal haemorrhage; or aortic dissection. 9 of 20 (45%) with reported heart mass exceeded 95th centile values. LV free wall and septal thickness were reported in 14 and 9 cases, respectively; of these, 6 (42.9%) and 4 (44.4%) cases exceeded normal values. 6 of 15 individuals (40%) without an obvious cause of death had excessive heart mass. The proportion of individuals with LVH exceeded the prevalence in the general triathlete population. Conclusions LVH—a marker of SIPO susceptibility—was present in a greater than the expected proportion of triathletes who died during the swim portion. We propose that IPO may be a significant aetiology of death during the swimming phase in triathletes. The importance of testing for LVH in triathletes as a predictor of adverse outcomes should be explored further. PMID:27900191

Comparison of antemortem antimicrobial treatment regimens to antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of postmortem lung isolates from feedlot cattle with bronchopneumonia.

PubMed

Lamm, Catherine G; Love, Brenda C; Krehbiel, Clint R; Johnson, Nicholas J; Step, Douglas L

2012-03-01

A retrospective study was performed to compare the treatment regimens in feedlot cattle that died with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) to the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the microorganisms isolated from lungs. Forty-three cattle submitted by the Willard Sparks Beef Research Center (WSBRC) to the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for postmortem examination during 2007 had bronchopneumonia (acute = 16, subacute = 5, or chronic = 22). Lungs from cattle were cultured aerobically (40 cattle) and for Mycoplasma spp. (34 cattle). Susceptibility panels were performed. At least 1 BRD pathogen (Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, Mycoplasma bovis, or Arcanobacterium pyogenes) was isolated from 39 cattle, and 77% (30/39) had multiple organisms recovered. Mycoplasmal infections were common (25/34) and a major component of mixed infections (24/25). The majority (60%) of the M. haemolytica, P. multocida, and H. somni isolates were resistant to tetracycline. Most of the H. somni isolates (67%) were susceptible to tilmicosin (Ti), enrofloxacin (En), ceftiofur (Ce), and florfenicol, despite extensive treatment with Ti, En, and Ce (75% of isolates were from cattle that received each antimicrobial once). Most of the M. haemolytica (65%) and P. multocida (79%) isolates were susceptible to En and Ce, despite antemortem treatment of cattle with these antimicrobials. Hence, the current study reports a discrepancy between the antemortem treatment of clinical BRD and the susceptibility patterns of the bacteria isolated from lungs postmortem. Based on these findings, factors other than antimicrobial resistance are playing a role in the death of feedlot cattle with BRD.

Prescription opioid abuse based on representative postmortem toxicology.

PubMed

Häkkinen, Margareeta; Vuori, Erkki; Ojanperä, Ilkka

2014-12-01

Opioids are important medications for pain and opioid maintenance treatment. Increasing use and abuse of prescription opioids has, however, caused worldwide concern. Our aim was to estimate the ratio between prescription opioid abuse and total use, based on representative postmortem toxicology. Our material included all the medico-legally examined deaths in Finland during 2010-2011 involving positive findings involving buprenorphine, codeine, fentanyl, methadone, oxycodone, or tramadol. We studied drug abuse by age group, with "abuse" meaning licit opioids used illicitly as narcotics. Drug-abuse history, drug injecting, or laboratory findings of illicit drugs defined an abuser case. We then compared abuser cases and other opioid-related cases between the opioids with the number of fatal poisonings, accidents, suicides, alcohol findings, concomitant opioid use, and median postmortem blood opioid concentrations. Opioid findings numbered 2499 in 2088 cases. Drug abuse involved 545 opioid-positive cases, which in Finland represented 0.5% of those deceased. The proportion of abuser cases among all opioid-related cases for buprenorphine was 85.5%, for methadone 82.4%, for tramadol 29.4%, for codeine 16.3%, for fentanyl 14.5%, and for oxycodone 6.9%. Abuse in age-groups >60 was rare. Concomitant other opioid findings were more frequent in abuser- than in other cases for codeine, oxycodone, and tramadol, whereas alcohol findings were more frequent in buprenorphine, codeine, and fentanyl abuse. Buprenorphine and methadone were most often related to drug abuse. Every other opioid studied involved some abuse, and especially tramadol. Abuse and fatal poisonings were concentrated in men aged 20-49. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metabolic half-life of somatostatin and peptidase activities are altered in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Weber, S J; Louis, R B; Trombley, L; Bissette, G; Davies, P; Davis, T P

1992-01-01

Several reports have described decreased immunoreactive somatostatin levels in specific regions of post-mortem brain tissue from patients diagnosed with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT). In an attempt to determine if the metabolism of somatostatin is also altered as a result of SDAT, we examined the regional metabolic half-life of somatostatin-28 (SS-28) and somatostatin-14 (SS-14). The activity of the following peptidases was also determined: neutral endopeptidase E.C. 3.4.24.11; metalloendopeptidase E.C. 3.4.24.15; carboxypeptidase E (E.C. 3.4.17.10); and trypsin-like serine protease. The metabolic half-life of SS-28 was significantly reduced in post-mortem Brodmann Area 22 of SDAT tissue. This decrease in SS-28 metabolic half-life was correlated with a significant increase in trypsin-like serine protease activity in the same SDAT brain region. The formation rate of SS-14 from SS-28 incubated with Brodmann Area 22 homogenates was also increased in SDAT tissues as compared to controls. A regional variation in neutral endopeptidase E.C. 3.4.24.11 was also noted in both controls and SDAT samples. Although postmortem intervals of samples varied significantly, no effect was seen on any biochemical parameter measured. Results from this study provide evidence that a correlation can be made between changes in metabolic half-life somatostatin and alterations in neuropeptidase activities due to SDAT. As these data show alterations in both proteolytic metabolism and peptidase activities, many other biologically active peptide substrates could also be affected in SDAT.

Application of 3D documentation and geometric reconstruction methods in traffic accident analysis: with high resolution surface scanning, radiological MSCT/MRI scanning and real data based animation.

PubMed

Buck, Ursula; Naether, Silvio; Braun, Marcel; Bolliger, Stephan; Friederich, Hans; Jackowski, Christian; Aghayev, Emin; Christe, Andreas; Vock, Peter; Dirnhofer, Richard; Thali, Michael J

2007-07-20

The examination of traffic accidents is daily routine in forensic medicine. An important question in the analysis of the victims of traffic accidents, for example in collisions between motor vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists, is the situation of the impact. Apart from forensic medical examinations (external examination and autopsy), three-dimensional technologies and methods are gaining importance in forensic investigations. Besides the post-mortem multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the documentation and analysis of internal findings, highly precise 3D surface scanning is employed for the documentation of the external body findings and of injury-inflicting instruments. The correlation of injuries of the body to the injury-inflicting object and the accident mechanism are of great importance. The applied methods include documentation of the external and internal body and the involved vehicles and inflicting tools as well as the analysis of the acquired data. The body surface and the accident vehicles with their damages were digitized by 3D surface scanning. For the internal findings of the body, post-mortem MSCT and MRI were used. The analysis included the processing of the obtained data to 3D models, determination of the driving direction of the vehicle, correlation of injuries to the vehicle damages, geometric determination of the impact situation and evaluation of further findings of the accident. In the following article, the benefits of the 3D documentation and computer-assisted, drawn-to-scale 3D comparisons of the relevant injuries with the damages to the vehicle in the analysis of the course of accidents, especially with regard to the impact situation, are shown on two examined cases.

Mechanical disruption of the blood-brain barrier following experimental concussion.

PubMed

Johnson, Victoria E; Weber, Maura T; Xiao, Rui; Cullen, D Kacy; Meaney, David F; Stewart, William; Smith, Douglas H

2018-05-01

Although concussion is now recognized as a major health issue, its non-lethal nature has limited characterization of the underlying pathophysiology. In particular, potential neuropathological changes have typically been inferred from non-invasive techniques or post-mortem examinations of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Here, we used a swine model of head rotational acceleration based on human concussion to examine blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity after injury in association with diffuse axonal injury and glial responses. We then determined the potential clinical relevance of the swine concussion findings through comparisons with pathological changes in human severe TBI, where post-mortem examinations are possible. At 6-72 h post-injury in swine, we observed multifocal disruption of the BBB, demonstrated by extravasation of serum proteins, fibrinogen and immunoglobulin-G, in the absence of hemorrhage or other focal pathology. BBB disruption was observed in a stereotyped distribution consistent with biomechanical insult. Specifically, extravasated serum proteins were frequently observed at interfaces between regions of tissue with differing material properties, including the gray-white boundary, periventricular and subpial regions. In addition, there was substantial overlap of BBB disruption with regions of axonal pathology in the white matter. Acute perivascular cellular uptake of blood-borne proteins was observed to be prominent in astrocytes (GFAP-positive) and neurons (MAP-2-positive), but not microglia (IBA1-positive). Parallel examination of human severe TBI revealed similar patterns of serum extravasation and glial uptake of serum proteins, but to a much greater extent than in the swine model, attributed to the higher injury severity. These data suggest that BBB disruption represents a new and important pathological feature of concussion.

The medico-legal investigation of the El Aqsah Intifada.

PubMed

Hiss, Jehuda; Freund, Maya; Motro, Uzi; Kahana, Tzipi

2002-07-01

The majority (n = 445) of the Israeli and Palestinian fatal victims of the El Aqsah Intifada was examined at the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv. Analysis of the trauma sustained and the anthropologic profile of both the victims and the perpetrators elucidates the trends and contrasts them with the phenomenon in the past. The purpose of the forensic investigation of mass casualty incidents is manifold: establishing the minimal number of individuals involved, identifying the victims and perpetrators, collecting material evidence, and determining the modus operandi. The postmortem examination includes external description of the bodies and their injuries, photo-documentation, and sampling of tissues. Radiography, dental examination, and a ten-print card of each cadaver are also recorded. The modus operandi of the current Intifada is somewhat different from that of the previous wave of terrorism and includes more road shootings and vehicular terrorism. In addition, three suicide bombers who detonated explosive devices within crowded areas were young women, and the age of the perpetrators has increased from up to 35 years to individuals as old as 47, thus greatly enlarging the potential number of suicide terrorists. Virologic and biologic tests have been introduced to examine the tissues of the suicide bombers since they are possible sources of contagion to the wounded victims. The results of the medico-legal investigation of victims and perpetrators of terrorism enable us to establish the modus operandi and the profile of potential perpetrators, which can help in the prevention of similar attacks. Documentation of the different types of injuries in fatal victims of explosion and shooting contributes to improving the awareness of the medical staff treating the wounded of similar attacks. Further investigation into the reliability of virologic and biologic tests conducted on postmortem tissue is recommended.

Evaluation of the perianal muscular complex in the prenatal diagnosis of anorectal atresia in a high-risk population.

PubMed

Ochoa, J H; Chiesa, M; Vildoza, R P; Wong, A E; Sepulveda, W

2012-05-01

To investigate whether sonographic identification of the fetal perianal muscular complex (PAMC) is of value in the prenatal detection of anorectal atresia in a high-risk population. During an 8-year study period, a total of 189 pregnancies at high risk for fetal anorectal atresia were prospectively examined for the presence/absence of the PAMC on axial ultrasound views of the fetal perineum. The prenatal findings were confirmed postnatally or at the time of postmortem examination. The median gestational age at examination was 27 (range, 15-37) weeks. The PAMC was identified in 175 fetuses, all of which had a normal anorectal canal at the time of delivery or at postmortem examination. The PAMC was not identified prenatally in the 14 remaining cases, and the anus was absent in 11 fetuses with anorectal atresia and in two with urorectal septum malformation sequence. There was one false-positive case, in which the anus was anatomically and functionally normal but ectopically located, opening into the vaginal vestibule. Among these 14 cases of anorectal malformation, prenatal dilatation of the distal bowel was seen in nine (64.3%) and intraluminal calcified meconium or enterolithiasis in five (35.7%). Overall, absent PAMC on prenatal sonography in this high-risk population had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 99%, true-positive rate of 93% and false-positive rate of 7% for the diagnosis of anorectal atresia. In a high-risk population, the absence of PAMC seems to be a highly sensitive and specific sonographic marker for anorectal atresia. The role of routine sonographic identification of the PAMC at the second-trimester scan to screen for cases of isolated anal atresia remains to be determined. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

13. VIEW OF EAST OPERATING GALLERY ALONG THE POSTMORTEM CELLS. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. VIEW OF EAST OPERATING GALLERY ALONG THE POST-MORTEM CELLS. A NUMBER OF MANIPULATOR ARMS COVERED WITH PLASTIC ARE ON THE LEFT WALL. - Nevada Test Site, Engine Maintenance Assembly & Disassembly Facility, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Postmortem Brain and Blood Reference Concentrations of Alprazolam, Bromazepam, Chlordiazepoxide, Diazepam, and their Metabolites and a Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Skov, Louise; Holm, Karen Marie Dollerup; Johansen, Sys Stybe; Linnet, Kristian

2016-09-01

To interpret postmortem toxicology results, reference concentrations for non-toxic and toxic levels are needed. Usually, measurements are performed in blood, but because of postmortem redistribution phenomena this may not be optimal. Rather, measurement in the target organ of psychoactive drugs, the brain, might be considered. Here we present reference concentrations of femoral blood and brain tissue of selected benzodiazepines (BZDs). Using LC-MS/MS, we quantified alprazolam, bromazepam, chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, and the metabolites desmethyldiazepam, oxazepam and temazepam in postmortem femoral blood and brain tissue in 104 cases. BZDs were judged to be unrelated to the cause of death in 88 cases and contributing to death in 16 cases. No cases were found with cause of death solely attributed to BZD poisoning. All BZDs investigated tended to have higher concentrations in brain than in blood with median brain-blood ratios ranging from 1.1 to 2.3. A positive correlation between brain and blood concentrations was found with R(2) values from 0.51 to 0.95. Our reported femoral blood concentrations concur with literature values, but sparse information on brain concentration was available. Drug-metabolite ratios were similar in brain and blood for most compounds. Duplicate measurements of brain samples showed that the pre-analytical variation in brain (5.9%) was relatively low, supporting the notion that brain tissue is a suitable postmortem specimen. The reported concentrations in both brain and blood can be used as reference values when evaluating postmortem cases. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Postmortem evidence of cerebral inflammation in schizophrenia: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Trépanier, M O; Hopperton, K E; Mizrahi, R; Mechawar, N; Bazinet, R P

2016-01-01

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder which has a lifetime prevalence of ~1%. Multiple candidate mechanisms have been proposed in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. One such mechanism is the involvement of neuroinflammation. Clinical studies, including neuroimaging, peripheral biomarkers and randomized control trials, have suggested the presence of neuroinflammation in schizophrenia. Many studies have also measured markers of neuroinflammation in postmortem brain samples from schizophrenia patients. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic search of the literature on neuroinflammation in postmortem brains of schizophrenia patients indexed in MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO. Databases were searched up until 20th March 2016 for articles published on postmortem brains in schizophrenia evaluating microglia, astrocytes, glia, cytokines, the arachidonic cascade, substance P and other markers of neuroinflammation. Two independent reviewers extracted the data. Out of 5385 articles yielded by the search, 119 articles were identified that measured neuroinflammatory markers in schizophrenic postmortem brains. Glial fibrillary acidic protein expression was elevated, lower or unchanged in 6, 6 and 21 studies, respectively, and similar results were obtained for glial cell densities. On the other hand, microglial markers were increased, lower or unchanged in schizophrenia in 11, 3 and 8 studies, respectively. Results were variable across all other markers, but SERPINA3 and IFITM were consistently increased in 4 and 5 studies, respectively. Despite the variability, some studies evaluating neuroinflammation in postmortem brains in schizophrenia suggest an increase in microglial activity and other markers such as SERPINA3 and IFITM. Variability across studies is partially explained by multiple factors including brain region evaluated, source of the brain, diagnosis, age at time of death, age of onset and the presence of suicide victims in the cohort. PMID:27271499

Postmortem memantine concentration in a non-intoxication case, and the possibility of postmortem redistribution: A case report.

PubMed

Nagasawa, Sayaka; Yajima, Daisuke; Torimitsu, Suguru; Chiba, Fumiko; Iwase, Hirotaro

2015-12-01

In this case study, we measured the concentration of memantine in the heart blood, peripheral blood, urine, liver, thigh muscle, and subcutaneous fat of a 64-year-old woman who was prescribed memantine for early-onset Alzheimer's disease. She died in hospital after an altercation with her husband. Cause of death was clearly not drug intoxication or overdose, so we investigated the postmortem redistribution (PMR) of memantine in the various tissues and blood ratios of the postmortem samples. Memantine concentrations detected were 1.31 μg/mL in the peripheral blood, 3.95 μg/mL in central blood, 2.09 μg/mL in the urine, 25.54 μg/g in the liver, 1.16 μg/g in the thigh muscle and 2.13 μg/g in the subcutaneous fat. In all samples, the concentrations were higher than the accepted therapeutic range (which is approximately 0.09-0.15 μg/mL). The central blood to peripheral blood (C/P) memantine ratio was 3.01 while the liver to peripheral blood (L/P) ratio was 19.5. It is documented that a C/P ratio exceeding 2 and L/P ratio exceeding 20 highlight a propensity for significant PMR. Although this is a single case study, our data suggest that memantine exhibits PMR. Additionally, a lowered pH was found in peripheral blood (pH 6.2) and central blood (pH 6.1). This postmortem reduction in blood pH may also promote the PMR of memantine. Because there is very little available postmortem toxicological data on memantine, our case study will serve as a foundation to assist in future forensic investigations. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Metastatic intraocular hemangiopericytoma in a dog

PubMed Central

Pucket, Jonathan D.; Allbaugh, Rachel A.; Higginbotham, Mary L.; Rankin, Amy J.; Teixeira, Leandro

2017-01-01

A 10-year-old Labrador Retriever who had been undergoing therapy for a recurrent hemangiopericytoma of the right flank presented to the Kansas State University Ophthalmology service for evaluation of a painful left eye. Examination revealed secondary glaucoma and irreversible blindness of the affected eye and multifocal chorioretinal lesions in the fellow eye. Therapeutic and diagnostic enucleation of the left eye was performed and histopathologic examination demonstrated the presence of a presumed metastatic spindle cell sarcoma. Further immunohistochemical staining confirmed the intraocular neoplasia to be metastatic spread from the previously removed flank mass. Rapid progression in size and number of chorioretinal lesions in the right eye was noted in the post-operative period until the patient was euthanized one month after surgery. This case report is the first to document intraocular metastasis of hemangiopericytoma in a veterinary patient. PMID:28652979

Metastatic intraocular hemangiopericytoma in a dog.

PubMed

Pucket, Jonathan D; Allbaugh, Rachel A; Higginbotham, Mary L; Rankin, Amy J; Teixeira, Leandro

2017-01-01

A 10-year-old Labrador Retriever who had been undergoing therapy for a recurrent hemangiopericytoma of the right flank presented to the Kansas State University Ophthalmology service for evaluation of a painful left eye. Examination revealed secondary glaucoma and irreversible blindness of the affected eye and multifocal chorioretinal lesions in the fellow eye. Therapeutic and diagnostic enucleation of the left eye was performed and histopathologic examination demonstrated the presence of a presumed metastatic spindle cell sarcoma. Further immunohistochemical staining confirmed the intraocular neoplasia to be metastatic spread from the previously removed flank mass. Rapid progression in size and number of chorioretinal lesions in the right eye was noted in the post-operative period until the patient was euthanized one month after surgery. This case report is the first to document intraocular metastasis of hemangiopericytoma in a veterinary patient.

Primary prostatic haemangiosarcoma causing severe haematuria in a dog.

PubMed

Della Santa, D; Dandrieux, J; Psalla, D; Gorgas, D; Lang, J; Geissbuehler, U; Howard, J

2008-05-01

A 10-year-old, entire, male, mixed-breed dog was presented for severe haematuria and stranguria. Ultrasound revealed a large intraluminal urinary bladder blood clot and a prostatic space-occupying lesion. Invasion of the lesion into the prostatic urethra was detected ultrasonographically during compression of the urinary bladder. Post-mortem examination revealed primary prostatic haemangiosarcoma infiltrating the urethra. Haemangiosarcoma should be considered as a rare cause of prostatic mass lesions, haematuria or lower urinary tract signs in dogs.

Gene expression associated with suicide attempts in US veterans (Open Access)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-05

schizophrenia who had died from suicide. This gene codes for a cytokine that is part of the tumor necrosis factor family. In addition, the PIK3C3...expression level of eIF2 (and mTOR and WNT) was downregulated in one published report examining post- mortem tissue in people who had a schizophrenia ...HK. Suicide candidate genes associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia : an exploratory gene expression profiling analysis of post-mortem

Acute visceral cysticercosis by Taenia hydatigena in lambs and treatment with praziquantel.

PubMed

Scala, A; Urrai, G; Varcasia, A; Nicolussi, P; Mulas, M; Goddi, L; Pipia, A P; Sanna, G; Genchi, M; Bandino, E

2016-01-01

An acute outbreak of Taenia hydatigena cysticercosis, causing mortality in 5 of 21 (23.8%) female lambs, is reported. Gross post-mortem examinations and histology showed Cysticercus tenuicollis as the cause of death. Biochemical parameters in infected lambs confirmed severe hepatitis. Praziquantel, given once at 15 mg/kg body weight (bw), was administered and a dramatic improvement in the clinical condition and biochemical parameters was observed up to 30 days following treatment.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in a patient with no known risk factors: a pathological study.

PubMed

Burt, A D; Scott, G; Shiach, C R; Isles, C G

1984-04-01

We present the pathological findings in a case of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in a patient with no known risk factor. Postmortem examination showed klebsiella lung abscess, generalised cytomegalovirus infection, cerebral toxoplasmosis, and a primary cerebral lymphoma. An additional feature was the presence of dilatation of the intrahepatic large bile ducts in association with an atypical distribution of cytomegalovirus. The relation between this case and previously reported cases of AIDS is discussed.

Intermittent fasting modulation of the diabetic syndrome in sand rats. III. Post-mortem investigations.

PubMed

Belkacemi, Louiza; Selselet-Attou, Ghalem; Bulur, Nurdan; Louchami, Karim; Sener, Abdullah; Malaisse, Willy J

2011-01-01

The present report concerns several post-mortem variables examined in sand rats that were either maintained on a vegetal diet (control animals) or exposed first during a 20-day transition period to a mixed diet consisting of a fixed amount of a hypercaloric food and decreasing amounts of the vegetal food and then to a 30-day experimental period of exposure to the hypercaloric food. During the latter period, all animals were either given free access to food or fasting daily for 15 h, i.e. from 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m. The body weight, liver wet weight, pancreas wet weight, plasma glucose and haemoglobin A1c concentration, plasma insulin concentration, insulinogenic index, insulin resistance HOMA, plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentration, liver triglyceride and phospholipid content were all measured. Pancreatic islet (insulin, GLUT2) and liver (lipid droplets) histology were also examined. The main findings consisted in a lower body weight of fasting than non-fasting animals, a higher liver weight in non-diabetic and diabetic rats than in control non-fasting (but not so in fasting) animals, a decrease of pancreas weight in non-diabetic and diabetic as distinct from control animals, a fasting-induced decrease in plasma glucose, plasma insulin and insulin resistance HOMA, plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentration and triglyceride liver content.

Nondrowning Asphyxia in Veterinary Forensic Pathology: Suffocation, Strangulation, and Mechanical Asphyxia.

PubMed

McEwen, B J

2016-09-01

Asphyxia in a forensic context refers to death by rapid cerebral anoxia or hypoxia due to accidental or nonaccidental injury. Death due to nondrowning asphyxia can occur with strangulation, suffocation, and mechanical asphyxia, each of which is categorized based on the mechanism of injury. Individuals dying due to various types of asphyxia may or may not have lesions, and even those lesions that are present may be due to other causes. The interpretation or opinion that death was due to asphyxia requires definitive and compelling evidence from the postmortem examination, death scene, and/or history. Beyond the postmortem examination, pathologists may be faced with questions of forensic importance that revolve around the behavioral and physiological responses in animals subjected to strangulation, suffocation, or mechanical asphyxia to determine if the animal suffered. While there is no prescriptive answer to these questions, it is apparent that, because of physiological and anatomical differences between humans and animals, for some mechanisms of asphyxia, consciousness is maintained for longer periods and the onset of death is later in animals than that described for people. Veterinary pathologists must be cognizant that direct extrapolation from the medical forensic literature to animals may be incorrect. This article reviews the terminology, classification, mechanisms, and lesions associated with asphyxial deaths in companion animals and highlights significant comparative differences of the response to various types of asphyxia in animals and people. © The Author(s) 2016.

Computed tomographic findings and treatment of a bull with pituitary gland abscess.

PubMed

Braun, Ueli; Malbon, Alexandra; Kochan, Manon; Riond, Barbara; Janett, Fredi; Iten, Cornelia; Dennler, Matthias

2017-01-13

In cattle, the prognosis of brain abscess is unfavourable and treatment is therefore not recommended. To the knowledge of the authors, there has been no report of successful treatment of a brain abscess in cattle.This report describes the clinical, computed tomographic and postmortem findings in a Holstein-Friesian bull with a hypophyseal abscess. The main clinical findings were generalised ataxia, ptyalism, prolapse of the tongue, dropped jaw, dysphagia, head tilt and unilateral ptosis. Cerebrospinal fluid evaluation revealed 2437 leukocytes/µl and severe pleocytosis. CT examination of the head showed a cavitary lesion consistent with an abscess in the hypophysis. Treatment consisted of gentamicin and flunixin meglumine for 3 days and amoxicillin for 40 days. The neurological signs resolved within 8 days of the start of treatment. The bull was slaughtered 11 months later because of infertility, and a postmortem examination was carried out. Histologically, a mild chronic non suppurative meningoencephalitis restricted to the ventral diencephalon was diagnosed. In addition, there was mild to moderate multifocal chronic lymphoplasmacytic hypophysitis with mild multifocal fibrosis. This case report stresses the significance of CT in confirming the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of central nervous system disorders in cattle and for localising brain lesions. Treatment of the brain abscess resulted, with respect to the central nervous disorder, in a successful outcome and was encouraging considering that most cases have an unfavourable prognosis.

Mortality Patterns in Patients with Multiple Trauma: A Systematic Review of Autopsy Studies

PubMed Central

Pfeifer, Roman; Teuben, Michel; Andruszkow, Hagen; Barkatali, Bilal M.; Pape, Hans-Christoph

2016-01-01

Purpose A high percentage (50%-60%) of trauma patients die due to their injuries prior to arrival at the hospital. Studies on preclinical mortality including post-mortem examinations are rare. In this review, we summarized the literature focusing on clinical and preclinical mortality and studies included post-mortem examinations. Methods A literature search was conducted using PubMed/Medline database for relevant medical literature in English or German language published within the last four decades (1980–2015). The following MeSH search terms were used in different combinations: “multiple trauma”, “epidemiology”, “mortality “, “cause of death”, and “autopsy”. References from available studies were searched as well. Results Marked differences in demographic parameters and injury severity between studies were identified. Moreover, the incidence of penetrating injuries has shown a wide range (between 4% and 38%). Both unimodal and bimodal concepts of trauma mortality have been favored. Studies have shown a wide variation in time intervals used to analyze the distribution of death. Thus, it is difficult to say which distribution is correct. Conclusions We have identified variable results indicating bimodal or unimodal death distribution. Further more stundardized studies in this field are needed. We would like to encourage investigators to choose the inclusion criteria more critically and to consider factors affecting the pattern of mortality. PMID:26871937

Secondary intracranial neoplasia in the dog: 177 cases (1986-2003).

PubMed

Snyder, J M; Lipitz, L; Skorupski, K A; Shofer, F S; Van Winkle, T J

2008-01-01

This study investigates the frequency, location, and clinical findings associated with 177 secondary brain tumors in dogs. Secondary intracranial neoplasia is more common than primary intracranial neoplasia in dogs during the time period studied, and hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is the most common secondary intracranial tumor. One hundred and seventy-seven client-owned dogs presented to the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital between 1986 and 2003. Medical records were searched for a diagnosis of intracranial neoplasia in dogs who underwent complete postmortem examination. Of these dogs, those with a diagnosis of primary intracranial neoplasia were excluded. Of the 177 secondary brain tumors, 51 (29%) were HSAs, 44 (25%) were pituitary tumors, 21 (12%) were lymphosarcomas, and 21 (12%) were metastatic carcinomas. The average age at diagnosis was 9.6 +/- 3.0 years. Most tumors were located in the cerebrum, and a mentation change was the most common presenting clinical sign. On postmortem examination, the same tumor that was in the brain was also present in the lung in 84 cases (47%), in the kidney in 62 cases (35%), and in the heart in 55 cases (31%). Secondary intracranial neoplasia in dogs was more common than primary intracranial neoplasia during the time period studied. Many of these dogs had related disease in other body systems that was apparent on diagnostic tests such as thoracic radiography.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the canine shoulder.

PubMed

Long, C D; Nyland, T G

1999-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the normal ultrasonographic anatomy of the canine shoulder. Fourteen shoulders from 7 clinically normal mid-sized dogs were radiographed and imaged using high frequency ultrasound. Each shoulder was isolated postmortem, and the ultrasonographic and gross anatomy was studied during dissection. The ultrasonographic appearance of the shoulder specimens was similar to that found in the live dogs. Twenty-four shoulders isolated postmortem from 12 variably sized dogs were also used to characterize the normal ultrasound anatomy over a range of sizes. Important anatomic structures that could be consistently evaluated were the biceps tendon and bursa, the bicipital groove surface, the supraspinatous tendon, the infraspinatous tendon, the teres minor tendon, and the caudal aspect of the humeral head. Results of ultrasonographic examination of 4 dogs with shoulder lameness are described to illustrate some applications of canine shoulder ultrasonography in the evaluation of the canine shoulder. In these dogs, ultrasound was a valuable tool to evaluate effusion and synovial proliferation within the bicipital bursa, supraspinatous and biceps tendinitis, biceps tendon strain, and dystrophic calcification.

Pulmonary thromboembolism on unenhanced postmortem computed tomography: Feasibility and findings.

PubMed

Ampanozi, Garyfalia; Held, Ulrike; Ruder, Thomas D; Ross, Steffen G; Schweitzer, Wolf; Fornaro, Juergen; Franckenberg, Sabine; Thali, Michael J; Flach, Patricia M

2016-05-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of diagnosing fatal pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) with unenhanced postmortem computed tomography (PMCT). Twelve cases with autopsy confirmed PTE and matched controls (n=19) were retrospectively examined for PTE signs on PMCT. The following variables were evaluated: edema of the lower extremities (areal and Hounsfield Unit measurements) and observer dependent patterns of the morphology of the sedimentation in the pulmonary arteries and trunk. The median absolute difference between the areal measurements of the right and left lower leg and thigh and the attenuation of the popliteal adipose tissue did not differ significantly between the groups. In contrast, the categorical assessment of soft tissue edema in the lower extremities was significantly different. A statistically significant difference could also be found in the shape of the vascular content within the pulmonary trunk and arteries. PTE may be assessed on unenhanced PMCT using diagnostic clues such as a distinct pattern of the pulmonary artery content and the presence of perivascular edema in the lower extremities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Re-establishment of rigor mortis: evidence for a considerably longer post-mortem time span.

PubMed

Crostack, Chiara; Sehner, Susanne; Raupach, Tobias; Anders, Sven

2017-07-01

Re-establishment of rigor mortis following mechanical loosening is used as part of the complex method for the forensic estimation of the time since death in human bodies and has formerly been reported to occur up to 8-12 h post-mortem (hpm). We recently described our observation of the phenomenon in up to 19 hpm in cases with in-hospital death. Due to the case selection (preceding illness, immobilisation), transfer of these results to forensic cases might be limited. We therefore examined 67 out-of-hospital cases of sudden death with known time points of death. Re-establishment of rigor mortis was positive in 52.2% of cases and was observed up to 20 hpm. In contrast to the current doctrine that a recurrence of rigor mortis is always of a lesser degree than its first manifestation in a given patient, muscular rigidity at re-establishment equalled or even exceeded the degree observed before dissolving in 21 joints. Furthermore, this is the first study to describe that the phenomenon appears to be independent of body or ambient temperature.

The Enduring Challenge of Determining Pneumonia Etiology in Children: Considerations for Future Research Priorities.

PubMed

Feikin, Daniel R; Hammitt, Laura L; Murdoch, David R; O'Brien, Katherine L; Scott, J Anthony G

2017-06-15

Pneumonia kills more children each year worldwide than any other disease. Nonetheless, accurately determining the causes of childhood pneumonia has remained elusive. Over the past century, the focus of pneumonia etiology research has shifted from studies of lung aspirates and postmortem specimens intent on identifying pneumococcal disease to studies of multiple specimen types distant from the lung that are tested for multiple pathogens. Some major challenges facing modern pneumonia etiology studies include the use of nonspecific and variable case definitions, poor access to pathologic lung tissue and to specimens from fatal cases, poor diagnostic accuracy of assays (especially when testing nonpulmonary specimens), and the interpretation of results when multiple pathogens are detected in a given individual. The future of childhood pneumonia etiology research will likely require integrating data from complementary approaches, including applications of advanced molecular diagnostics and vaccine probe studies, as well as a renewed emphasis on lung aspirates from radiologically confirmed pneumonia and postmortem examinations. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Death of a female cocaine user due to the serotonin syndrome following moclobemide-venlafaxine overdose.

PubMed

Kłys, Małgorzata; Kowalski, Piotr; Rojek, Sebastian; Gross, Adam

2009-01-30

To our knowledge, the majority of evidence supporting the relationship between the serotonin syndrome and medications that effect 5HT is based on case reports. The justification for taking up this subject has been a fatal outcome of a 21 year-old female following an administration of toxic doses of moclobemide (MAOI) and venlafaxine (SNRI). As a result of complex toxicological investigations including antemortem and postmortem material, antemortem clinical observations and postmortem examinations, the cause of death was identified as overdose with antidepressants--moclobemide and venlafaxine--in the mechanism of the clinically fully developed severe toxic serotonin syndrome. The analysis of a hair strand collected from the victim documented the use of the above-mentioned drugs simultaneously with cocaine in the period of at least 20 months preceding death. The fact is a matter of considerable interest in view of the employed pharmacotherapy, giving rise to suspicion that the woman had not developed the serotonin syndrome during the almost 2-year antemortem period until she took toxic doses of both medications.

3D perfusion mapping in the intact mouse heart after myocardial infarction using myocardial contrast echocardiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yinbo; Yang, Zequan; French, Brent A.; Hossack, John A.

2005-04-01

An intact mouse model of surgically-induced myocardial infarction (MI) caused by permanent occlusion of the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) coronary artery was studied. Normal mice with no occlusion were also studied as controls. For each mouse, contrast enhanced ultrasound images of the heart were acquired in parallel cross-sections perpendicular to the sternum at millimeter increments. For accurate 3D reconstruction, ECG gating and a tri-axial adjustable micromanipulator were used for temporal and spatial registration. Ultrasound images at steady-state of blood refilling were color-coded in each slice to show relative perfusion. Myocardial perfusion defects and necrosis were also examined postmortem by staining with Phthalo blue and TTC red dyes. Good correlation (R>0.93) in perfused area size was observed between in vivo measurements and histological staining. A 3D multi-slice model and a 3D rendering of perfusion distribution were created and showed a promising match with postmortem results, lending further credence to its use as a more comprehensive and more reliable tool for in vivo assessment of myocardial perfusion than 2D tomographic analysis.

Temperature-dependent Development of Parasarcophaga similis (Meade 1876) and its Significance in Estimating Postmortem Interval.

PubMed

Yang, Lijun; Wang, Yu; Li, Liangliang; Wang, Jiangfeng; Wang, Min; Zhang, Yingna; Chu, Jun; Liu, Kun; Hou, Yiding; Tao, Luyang

2017-09-01

Flesh flies are commonly found insects on decaying corpses that appears slightly later than blowflies, and their development patterns are significant indicators for minimum postmortem interval (PMI min ) estimation. In this study, the flesh fly Parasarcophaga similis (Meade 1876) was reared at nine constant temperatures ranging from 15°C to 35°C to examine indicators for estimating their age. We generated three development models, including isomorphen diagram, isomegalen diagram, and thermal summation model. Larval body length at different rearing temperatures was fit into an L = a + bT + cT 2 + dT 3 equation with which the relationship between the larval body length (L) and the time after larviposition (T) was confirmed. The pupal stage was categorized into 13 substages according to intrapuparial morphological changes, and a detailed table was generated of the pupal developmental stages at five rearing temperatures, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, and 35°C. This study provides fundamental data in supporting P. similis as an indicator for PMI min estimation. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.