Autopsy represents traditional and classical examination in forensic medicine. It was suggested that conventional autopsy, nowadays sometimes rejected or not tolerated by people for its damage to corpse. Virtopsy offers a non-invasive investigation approach and can also reflect fracture, soft-tissue injury, wound track, organ trauma objectively and accurately. Thus, virtopsy can provide visual and powerful evidence for forensic pathological practice. This article mainly synthesizes the latest literature at home and abroad and reviews application of virtopsy in forensic trauma identification, mechanical asphyxia, drowning, hypothermia and hyperpothermia, disease diagnosis and research of finite element method applicated in trauma investigation to illustrate this new direction of forensic research.
Autopsy/methods* ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Multidetector Computed Tomography/methods*

There are many deficiencies in forensic traumatic molecular markers detected by the techniques of traditional immunohistology and molecular biology, because these markers are isolated and obscure of the mechanism of interaction. The imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) is more suitable for the forensic molecular markers using function of screening, analysis and graphical representation. In this paper, the techniques and the latest research in screening and identification of typical molecular markers by IMS based on matrix-assisted laser adsorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) are reviewed. And its application values in forensic injury are discussed.
Biomarkers/analysis* ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Molecular Biology ; Molecular Weight ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization/methods*

Finite element method (FEM) is an effective mathematical method for stress analysis, and has been gradually applied in the study of biomechanics of human body structures. This paper reviews the construction, development, materials assignment and verification of FEM model of cervical vertebra, and it also states the research results of injury mechanism of whiplash injury and biomechanical response analysis of the cervical vertebra using FEM by researchers at home and abroad.
Adult ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Cervical Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc/physiopathology* ; Male ; Models, Anatomic ; Soft Tissue Injuries/physiopathology* ; Stress, Mechanical ; Whiplash Injuries/physiopathology*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of postmortem multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) in cases of fall from height through observing and analyzing the injury features of the fall and reconstructing the process of the fall based on the the above procedure. METHODS: One real fatal case due to fall from height was fully examined using MSCT and three-dimensional reconstruction technique. Analyzing the manner and cause of death through combination of MSCT and systemic autopsy was also implemented. The differences between autopsy and MSCT in getting information of injuries were compared. RESULTS: Fractures involving multiple body regions and liver rupture were found through MSCT and three-dimensional reconstruction. The autopsy got the same results with imageological examination. The case of death was deduced to be fall leading to systemic polytrauma. CONCLUSION Application of MSCT can be used as the complimentary for traditional autopsy in the analysis of injury manner of fall from height.
Autopsy ; Death ; Forensic Pathology ; Fractures, Bone ; Humans ; Multiple Trauma ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the cases of anaphylactic death cases and explore the standards of judicial expertise of anaphylactic death for providing evidence for judicial expertise. METHODS: Fifty-nine cases death due to allergic reaction in Shanghai were collected. And details of medical history, clinical manifestation of anaphylactic reaction and postmortem examination findings were reviewed for all cases. RESULTS: In the 59 cases, there were 58 cases died from drug allergy, including 77.6% of them were antibiotics. The rates of treating in standard hospital and illegal clinic were 37.3% and 61.0%, respectively. The allergic symptoms were dyspnea and facial cyanosis. The time from contacting allergens to death ranged from 1 min to 3 d. The concentration of total serum IgE ranged from 50 to 576.92 IU/mL. The results of clinical manifestation and pathological anatomy had obviously changes. CONCLUSION Based on the exclusion of all other cause of death and synthetically analysis of details of cases, medical history, clinical manifestation and anatomy, the conclusion of anaphylactic death can reached. The details of cases including clinical history, exposure to allergens, and clinical manifestation play an important role in diagnosis of anaphylactic death.
Anaphylaxis/mortality* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/adverse effects* ; Autopsy ; China ; Drug Hypersensitivity/mortality* ; Forensic Sciences ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To observe the time-course expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in cerebral cortex after traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: The TBI model of mouse was established. The mice were divided in 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 3 d, 7 d after TBI, sham and control groups. The permeability of the blood brain barrier was evaluated by measuring the extravasation of Evans blue (EB) dye. The expression of ZO-1 in cerebral cortex in the injured area was detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The extravasation of EB dye of injured cortex gradually increased from 1 h, peaked at 1-3 d and approximately decreased to normal at 7 d after TBI. Western blotting revealed that the expression of ZO-1 gradually decreased after 1 h, was at the lowest at 1-3 d, and then significantly increased after 7 d but was still lower than that of normal and sham groups. The result of immunohistochemistry showed that ZO-1 had strong expression in vessel of normal cortex, gradually decreased after TBI, and almost disappeared at 3 d after TBI and gradually recovered to normal level later. CONCLUSION The expression of ZO-1 in the injured cortex after TBI initially decreases and then increases. The negative correlation between ZO-1 expression and EB extravasation after TBI could be used as a new indicator for wound age estimation.
Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Blotting, Western ; Brain Injuries/physiopathology* ; Cerebral Cortex/metabolism* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Permeability ; Tight Junctions/metabolism* ; Zonula Occludens-1 Protein/metabolism*

Karoshi remains one of the most troublesome issues in forensic identification. It is rather a social medicine than a clinical disease. Japanese scholars pioneered examining the relation between sud- den cardiac death (SCD) and chronic fatigue from long time and/or high-tension work. In the current case, a 55-year-old man, whose job was loading and carrying heavy cement bags, was found dead after 11 days of continuous hard work. His family members sued the cement factory for his death and claimed for compensation. The problem was the difficulty of identifying the causative relation without the precedent or the relevant regulations. However, the forensic problems were finally acknowledged after autopsy and calculation of labor intensity. The lawsuit was won as the first case pertaining to Karoshi in the Chinese court.
Autopsy ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac/etiology* ; Fatigue/mortality* ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Workload/legislation & jurisprudence*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the related risk facts of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and analyze the relation between PTE and the trauma or medical behavior by investigating the cases of PTE. METHODS: Thirty-three cases were selected from Institute of Forensic Science (IFS) from 2000 to 2014. RESULTS: In 33 cases, 16 decedents were male, 17 decedents were female; different degrees of dyspnea, chest tight- ness and syncope symptoms were the clinical manifestation of the deceased; the thrombus was mainly distributed in the left and right pulmonary arteries. The main source of embolism was the deep vein of lower limb and the left probability was higher. Trauma, limited position, operation and cardiovascular disease showed high-risk factors of PTE; D-Dimer test, hemolytic test and computer tomography pul- monary angiography were the diagnostic tools for PTE. In some cases, trauma and medical malpractice could be involved in the cause of death. CONCLUSION Non-typical clinical symptoms present in the most cases caused by PTE, and these cases always show many high-risk factors. The relation between PTE and injury or medical behavior should be considered carefully in the forensic pathological practice.
Female ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products/chemistry* ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans ; Lower Extremity/pathology* ; Lung/pathology* ; Male ; Malpractice ; Pulmonary Embolism/mortality*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of postmortem multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) by observing and analyzing the injury features in the traffic accident victims. METHODS: Ten traffic accident victims were scanned with whole body MSCT. The systemic autopsy was subsequently performed to compare with the results of MSCT. The advantages and disadvantages of autopsy and MSCT for obtaining the information of traffic accident injuries were then analyzed. RESULTS: MSCT could reveal 3D shape of fractures clearly and detect air accumulation in different positions of the body, which showed the obvious advantages compared with autopsy. However, the resolution of MSCT was limited compared to the detection of organ and soft tissue injuries. CONCLUSION A combination of MSCT and autopsy is the best way for determining the manner and the cause of death in traffic fatality victims.
Accidents, Traffic ; Autopsy ; Fractures, Bone ; Humans ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

OBJECTIVETo study the adjustment of Xianggui pill on the cytokine of endometriosis model rat, and investigate the mechanism of Xianggui pill on the treatment of endometriosis.

METHODTo set up endometriosis model by rat self-endometria transplantation, drench sodium chloride, Xianggui pill elixation or Danazol after grouping, and to detect the contents of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) by ELISA.

RESULTThe contents of IL-8, TNF-alpha in the peripheral blood and peritoneal fluid of model group were higher than that of the blank group; The quality of allotopia growth intima tissue, the quantity of macrophage in peritoneal fluid and the contents of IL-8, TNF-alpha in the Xianggui pill group and Danazol group were all lower than those of the model group; but there was no significant difference of each target between the Xianggui pill group and Danazol group.

CONCLUSIONXianggui pill can restrain significantly the growth of allotopia intima tissue, and has apparently adjustment to the cytokine.

Animals ; Cell Count ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Endometriosis ; blood ; immunology ; metabolism ; Female ; Interleukin-8 ; blood ; metabolism ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; metabolism ; pathology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism