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Statistical Analysis of the Heart and Lung Mass in Forensic Anatomical Cases and Its Forensic Significance

J J Xue1,2, T Q Wang1, Y Q Jia1

  • 1School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China.

Fa Yi Xue Za Zhi
|January 24, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Forensic autopsies reveal that heart and lung mass differ between sexes and correlate with body metrics. These organ mass differences aid in identifying causes of death, particularly sudden cardiac death and drowning.

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Pathology
  • Human Anatomy

Background:

  • Organ mass, specifically heart and lung mass, can provide valuable data in forensic investigations.
  • Understanding variations in organ mass based on demographic and pathological factors is crucial for forensic identification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sex-based differences in heart and lung mass in forensic autopsy cases.
  • To explore the application of heart and lung mass measurements in determining the cause of death.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from 1,614 forensic autopsy cases (2007-2016).
  • Statistical correlation of heart and lung mass with age, height, body weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI).
  • Comparison of organ masses across different causes of death using GraphPad Prism 6.0.

Main Results:

  • Males exhibited significantly higher heart and lung mass than females (P<0.05).
  • Heart mass showed a positive correlation with age, height, body weight, and BMI in both sexes (P<0.05).
  • Significantly higher heart mass was observed in cases of sudden cardiac death (SCD).
  • Lung mass was notably higher in cases of drowning and delayed treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Heart and lung mass measurements are significant in forensic practice.
  • These measurements aid in differential diagnosis and identifying specific causes of death.

Keywords:
forensic pathology; heart; lung; body mass index; cause of death

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