To know the value of the solubilization method using tissue solubilizer Soluene-350 in diagnosis of drowning, mice (ICR) were drowned artificially with the fresh water of Chungju district. Chlorophyta (or green algae), such as Oocystis and Eudorina, as well as diatoms, such as Diatoma, Synedra and Cyclotella were detected with other algae including Microcystis, Oscillatoria, Trachlomonas, Altenaria and Cephalodella in the water of Daeje-ji(Dae-je pond). This method is useful in detection of green algae and other kinds of algae for diagnosis of drowning in submerged bodies among legal autopsy cases.
Animals ; Autopsy ; Chlorophyta* ; Chungcheongbuk-do* ; Diagnosis* ; Diatoms ; Drowning* ; Fresh Water ; Mice ; Microcystis ; Oscillatoria ; Rivers* ; Water

Phycomycosis is an uncommon opportunistic fungal infection, involving several organs, such as brain, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and skin. Invasion of joint cavity by phycomycetes, however, has never been reported. We report a case of 33-year-old male who had had prehallux with congenital equinovarus and underwent correction operation on the right ankle joint. There after, joint pain and edema had developed on that site. He received reoperation and underwent excisional biopsy from there. Operation showed hypertrophied yellowish synovium. On microscopic examination, the tissue showed several foci of fibrinoid necrosis and suppurative and granulomatuous inflammation. Periodic acid Schiff stain demonstrated broad. Aseptate hyphae that were wrinkled and folded.
Male ; Humans ; Biopsy

Recently, the numbers of medical dispute in cosmetic surgery are increasing according to the increasing demand of this surgery. The 5 judicial decisions of Korea and the 7 those of Japan are introduced, and three points of problems about cosmetic surgery are proposed in this paper as follows: 1. whether cosmetic surgery is one of medical practice or not 2. Misusage of cosmetic surgery in wrongful directions 3. The proposals for prevention of medical disputes in cosmetic surgery
Dissent and Disputes ; Japan ; Korea ; Surgery, Plastic*

Ninety forensic (judicial) autopsies were performed in Chungju and Eomseong provinces during 3 years (1998-2000). On the other hand, postmortem external examinations for administrative purposes were done in only 2 bodies during the same period. In this paper the reasons for small proportion of the postmortem external examination for administrative purposes compared with that for judicial autopsies were discussed. The following results might offer us significant suggestions for improving the postmortem investigation and examination system in Korea. 1. Reconsideration on the importance of postmortem external examination. 2. Reestablishment of the definitions and a guiding principle in postmortem investigation system for judicial and administrative purposes. 3. Education on the necessity for augmentation of medicolegal autopsy rate among postmortem investigation cases for administrative purposes.
Autopsy ; Chungcheongbuk-do* ; Education ; Hand ; Korea

A 38-year-old female dead body was found in extremely abnormal posture on a chair at an inn. The posture of the dead body was in a state of hyperextension and rotation of the head. The postmortem investigation revealed no evidence of homicide or struggle. The external examination showed facial excoriations formed by pressure with wall. The judicial autopsy revealed liquid heart blood, a few petechia on epicardium and congestion of internal organs. Author supposed two ways of possibility that the dead body's posture. One is due to sudden loss of consciousness by acute heart failure. The other is due to slip of both hands from elbowrest of armchair to move his position. The possibility favors the latter to the former. Author reproduced similar posture with the dead body to explain the mechanism of the death. Conclusion was as follows: the death was due to respiratory insufficiency by phrenic nerve damage, compressional damage of cervical vertebrae and pain shock etc.
Adult ; Autopsy ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Female ; Hand ; Head ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Homicide ; Humans ; Pericardium ; Phrenic Nerve ; Posture* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Shock ; Unconsciousness

Spirochetes were isolated from the midgut of Ixodes persulcatus ticks captured at Chungju, Korea and identified as Borrelia afzelii strains by polymerase chain reaction. To determine the pathogenicity of the B. afzelii strains isolated in Korea, the microbiological and pathological features of Lyme disease were observed in C3H/He mice after intraperitoneal inoculation of the fresh isolate of B. afzelii strain. The results are summarized as follows 1) The Borrelia were detected in the tissues of heart, spleen, kidney, urinary bladder and knee joint within 7 days after inoculation of infection by dark field microscopic examination. The isolation rate from heart, urinary bladder and joint was significantly higher than the rate from spleen, kidney, and blood samples. 2) The Borrelia was detected in heart muscle by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. 3) Antibody to the Borrelia was detected as early as one week after inoculation. 4) The marked tropism of the Borrelia was observed in myocardial, urinary tract and joint tissue. The main pathological features are inflammation in tissues of heart, kidney, joint and urinary bladder. From these results, the Borrelia afzelii strain isolated in Korea were determined as pathogenic strain.
Animals ; Borrelia burgdorferi Group* ; Borrelia burgdorferi* ; Borrelia* ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Heart ; Inflammation ; Ixodes ; Joints ; Kidney ; Knee Joint ; Korea* ; Lyme Disease ; Mice ; Myocardium ; Pathology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Spirochaetales ; Spleen ; Ticks ; Tropism ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Tract ; Virulence*

No abstract available.
Dermatoglyphics* ; Humans*

There are several types of medical certificates and written expert opinions (or judicial reports) which medical doctors have to issue. Author summarized medicolegal demand on medical certificates and written expert opinions separately. Kinds and items of medical certificates were listed. And 10 cases of death certificate in Japan were introduced and analyzed. About judicial reports, definition and legal background as well as general principles of framing of judicial reports including preface, examination records, explanation of results and considerations, and judicial examination and signature were also mentioned.
Death Certificates ; Expert Testimony* ; Japan

The gray vibrissae of Korean males(n =189) between 15 and 75 years old and females(n =111) between-15 and 74 years old who visited the department of otorhinolaryngology, Konkuk university Chungju hospital during 1996 to 1998, were counted for the purpose of estimating approximate age range in individuals of unknown age . The lowest age appearing gray hairs in both sexes was 15-year-old. The Pearson's correlation coefficient in both sexes was 0.490 (p<0.01). The age appearing gray vibrissae in females was slightly earlier than that of males, however, the differences between right and left sides of nasal cavity were insignificant. This method of counting gray vibrissae would be useful to estimate age range in personal identification together with other methods available until now.
Adolescent ; Aged ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Female ; Hair* ; Humans ; Male ; Nasal Cavity ; Otolaryngology ; Vibrissae*

Medicolegal autopsy is divided into judicial autopsy and administrative autopsy in Korea and Japan. Recently a new concept of "consented autopsy" has been developed in Japan. Consented autopsy is a kind of administrative autopsy which performed by informed consent of the bereaved of the dead. In Japan, all medicolegal autopsies are strictly divided into judicial autopsy and administrative autopsy. The latter is called to consented autopsy in the most prefectures of Japan except the five cities that have Japanese medical examiner system. Consented autopsy is a procedure that enhances people's recognition of legal medicine in the society and universities. Author introduce the peculiar procedures of consented autopsy in the Department of Legal Medicine, Kitasato University and Kyushu University in Japan. We can expect that the universities and other organs in Korea will establish our own methods of medicolegal activities in the future referring to the Japan's consented autopsy system.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Autopsy ; Coroners and Medical Examiners ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Japan ; Korea