Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

For many people of different faiths, cutting up a corpse to figure out, how a person died is an invasive, even offensive, procedure. In some cases, as with Muslims and Jews, autopsies may violate their religious laws. But technology is stepping in with a more acceptable alternative to traditional autopsies, using sophisticated scanning and three-dimensional computer systems. 

Keywords: Forensic radiology; 3D surface scanning; Virtopsy; Virtual autopsy

Foreign body in the rectum has been reported frequently, attributed to whatever may be the cause. If the cause for it is assault or torture, then to quantify the trauma/pain either local or mental cannot be ascertained since it is a subjective matter although it is highly painful and embarrassing for the person who sustains the assault. A unique case of assault for the purpose of torture given to a man about 30 years of age was encountered, that is a forceful insertion of a ceramic tea cup in the rectum by a group of people the reason being defecated in their field. Here we present the surgical and legal aspect of such case. 

Keywords: Foreign object; Rectum; Assault; Medico-legal.

Pleural effusion is a common phenomenon occurring due to various causes. Pulmonary embolism is a less common cause of pleural effusion. In our case patient presented with minimal pleural effusion but thorough investigation revealed the underlying homocystenaemia.Thus, we concluded that pleural effusion represents the tip of iceberg of more serious underlying disease. 

Keywords: Pulmonary embolism; Pleural effusion; Homocystenemia.

Most of the drugs that have the properties of altering the state and perception of mind have always been abused more than being used for the purpose for which they were intended. Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate is one such drug which has the potential of wide range of therapeutic and criminal applications. GHB is often included in the group of ‘club drugs’ and has been implicated in cases of ‘date rape’, usually in combination with alcohol. GHB is a Central Nervous System depressant and is related to neuro-modulator gammaaminobutyric acid. 

Keywords: Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate; Dopamine; Gamma-aminobutyric acid; Date rape drug; Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Chronic renal failure is an alarming condition for health care professionals throughout the world. During the progression of renal damage, clinical manifestations are noted in practically all body organs and systems, and 90% of all affected patients experience oral symptoms. The existing management options range from simple measures based on changes in diet and life style, to different forms of dialysis (hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis), and also kidney transplantation. Knowing that the multiple oral manifestations of chronic renal failure, and the different repercussions of its treatment upon the oral cavity- these patients require special considerations and during precautions of dental treatment. Consultation with the nephrologist is essential before any dental treatment is carried out, in order to determine the condition of the patient, define the best moment for dental treatment, introduce the necessary pharmacological adjustments, or to establish other important aspects for preventing complications in the dental clinic.This article reviews the characteristics of the disease, the existing therapeutic options, and the considerations of relevance for the dental professional.

Keywords: Chronic renal failure; Glomerular filtration rate; Dialysis; Renal transplant;  Immunosuppressive therapy; Oral lesions; Gingival hyperplasia; Dental management.

Context: The most common concern among terminally ill patients in palliative care is death, which is often perceived as a psychosocial stigma. The knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences regarding death influence both the delivery of palliative care and its outcomes. Aims: This study aimed to perform a quantitative analysis of research publications in palliative care journals for articles on Death and bereavement care (DBC). Settings and Design: Systematic review of palliative care journals. Methods and Material: Twelve palliative care journals were searched for articles related to ‘death’ in title of the articles published in 2009 and 2010. The reporting rates of all journals were compared. The selected articles were categorized into practice, education, research and administration, and subsequently grouped into original and review articles. The original articles were sub-grouped into qualitative and quantitative studies, and the review articles were grouped into narrative and systematic reviews. Each subgroup of original articles category was further classified according to study designs. Statistical analysis used: Descriptive analysis using frequencies and percentiles was done using SPSS for Windows version 11.5. Results: The overall reporting rate among all journals was 5.27% (96/1821), and Palliat Support Care had highest reporting rate of 14.4% (17/118), followed by BMC Palliat Care with 9.3% (4/43), and Palliat Med with 7.4% (16/216). Conclusions: The overall reporting rate for DBC articles in palliative care journals was very low and there were very few randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews found. The study findings indicate a lack of adequate evidence base for DBC. 

Keywords: Evidence-based palliative care; Research; Journal reporting; Publication trend; Death; Bereavement. “The question is not how, when or where we will die, but how, when and where we will live until death.” 

 In the past some attempts have been made to study comparative anatomy of the Para nasal air sinuses. Among them some have made efforts to measure the dimensions of these Para nasal air sinuses. Mostly all of study was done on the dry bones in early phase and then with X-rays. As these dimensions are very important to the ENT surgeons and to the neurosurgeon to understand the normal anatomy of these PNS. So, in present study efforts have made to measure the dimensions of sphenoidal air sinus with the help of CT scan and MRI, Which are the latest modalities, which can give more accurate measurements. Here 50 CT scans of PNS of normal adults (37 males, 13 females) at J. J. Hospital radiology department, Byculla, Mumbai were studied. And MRI of Brain including PNS of 100 normal adults (50 males, 50 females) at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai was studied. 

Keywords: Para nasal air sinus (PNS); Antero posterior(A-P); Transverse (Trans.);Vertical (Vert.); CT scans; MRI.

Introduction: Melanocytic lesions show great morphological diversity in their architecture and the cytomorphological appearance of their composite cells. Histological assessment of these lesions constitutes a substantial proportion of a dermatopathologist’s daily workload. The aim of our study was to observe the histological spectrum and types of benign melanocytic nevi and metanoma and also to look for any atypical histological features in these nevi. 

Material and Methods: A total of 70 cases of melanocytic lesions were studied retrospectively over a four year period. Skin biopsies with a primary clinical diagnosis of nevus/mole/? melanoma were received in 10% buffered formalin, processed routinely for paraffin sections and stained by Haematorxylin and Eosin stain. The histological features were observed and relevant data was recorded and analysed by frequency, percentage and chi square test.

Results: The ratio of benign melenoytic nevi to melanoma was 4:1. The most common benign nevus was intradermal nerus (66%) and the most common type of melanoma was of acrallentiginous type (65%). Occurrence of these melanocytic lesions was not significantly related to gender as chi square=0.130, p=0.719>0.05 but was higlly associated with age in our study as Fisher’s exact test was p=0.000<0.01. 

Conclusion: Melanocytic lesions of the skin are of notorious challenge for the pathologist.It is important to excise any pigmented lesion as they may transform into malignancy. Optimal assessment of these lesions is important as the pathology report provides the clinician with information about the histogenic nature of the lesion as well as its potential for aggressive biological behavior which facilitates optimal management decisions. 

Keywords: Melanocytic lesions; Benign nevi; Intradermal nevus; Melanoma.