Adipocere-The Fat of Graveyards

Adipocere is an unusual product of fatty tissue decomposition that may occasionally be found in bodies. Two cases of diving fatalities in a limestone cave filled with fresh water are reported to demonstrate the features of adipocere, with a literature review. The bodies of a 20-year-old male and 22-year-old female diver were retrieved 11 and 10 months after their deaths, respectively. Both bodies were putrefied with extensive adipocere formation characterized by the absence of epidermis with loss of cellular detail, with residual collagen fibers, and occasional hair follicles in the dermis. The most likely cause of death was accidental drowning possibly contributed to by equipment malfunction at depth. Adipocere formation is an unusual finding in bodies, particularly in Australia, that is facilitated by cold, wet, and anaerobic environments. If found at autopsy, it may give some indication of the environmental conditions that a body has been exposed to.