Morphological characteristics of tissue damages from electrical contact

The purpose of the study was to reveal the morphological pattern of different tissues mostly vulnerable to electric contact injury from domestic electrical appliances and to determine the possible diagnostic criteria of this damage. The matter is of particular importance as domestic electrical appliances are widely used in torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. The pilot part of the study was experimental and as the material of study have been used adult Wistar white rats. The microscopic study of slides taken from tissues damaged by electricity and dyed by routine Hematoxilin-Eosin reveals general structural changes that does not represent characteristic morphological pattern sufficient for forensic diagnosis of electric injury. The electricity damage of kidney and adrenal glands reflects the morphological pattern of stress that allows complex evaluation of damage but could have only orientating value for the estimation of cause of injury. Due to results obtained from pilot part of the study there is considered in regard to determine the possible diagnostic criteria for electrical injury of tissues the experimental morphological study must continue on skin and myocardial material using routine Hematoxilin-Eosin as well as other classical and modern morphological methods of study.