Skeletal examination is an important aspect of forensic pathology practice, requiring effective bone cleaning with minimal artefact. This study was conducted to compare between chemical and entomology methods of bone cleaning. Ten subjects between 20 and 40 years old who underwent uncomplicated medico-legal autopsies at the Institute of Forensic Medicine Malaysia were randomly chosen for this descriptive cross sectional study. The sternum bone was divided into 4 parts, each part subjected to a different cleaning method, being two chemical approaches i.e. laundry detergent and a combination of 6% hydrogen peroxide and powder sodium bicarbonate and two entomology approaches using 2nd instar maggots of Chrysomyia rufifacies and Ophyra spinigera. A scoring system for grading the outcome of cleaning was used. The effectiveness of the methods was evaluated based on average weight reduction per day and median number of days to achieve the average score of less than 1.5 within 12 days of the bone cleaning process. Using maggots was the most time-effective and costeffective method, achieving an average weight reduction of 1.4 gm per day, a median of 11.3 days to achieve the desired score and an average cost of MYR 4.10 per case to reach the desired score within 12 days. This conclusion was supported by blind validation by forensic specialists achieving a 77.8% preference for maggots. Emission scanning electron microscopy evaluation also revealed that maggots especially Chrysomyia rufifacies preserved the original condition of the bones better allowing improved elucidation of bone injuries in future real cases.

In the article, two co-authors were missing in the author list.

Congenital cataract is a major cause of preventable blindness in children. It can be either hereditary or non-hereditary. In this case series, we present three cases of congenital cataract with a strong family history. The grandparents and parents of these patients had cataract diagnosed in late childhood whilst the patients in this case series were diagnosed with congenital cataract earlier. There was no history of consanguineous marriage in any of the families. These cases show that, in the presence of a strong family history, a child will present with congenital cataract earlier in their life. Hence, babies from such families should be screened at birth and at regular intervals within the first year of life to enable early diagnosis and subsequent surgical intervention to reduce the incidence and burden of amblyopia.