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Post-mortem ocular changes and time since death: Scoping review and future perspective.
Fabio De-Giorgio1, Simone Grassi1, Ernesto d'Aloja2
1Department of Health Care Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Legal Medicine, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Rome, Italy; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Legal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan)
|February 21, 2021
Summary
Forensic science can estimate time since death using eye changes. Structural eye alterations, like corneal thickness, show promise for determining postmortem interval (PMI), but require further research.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Science
- Ophthalmology
- Postmortem Interval Estimation
Background:
- Traditional forensic research on postmortem interval (PMI) focuses on ocular chemical changes.
- Structural changes within the eye are also crucial for determining time since death.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing literature on structural ocular changes and their relationship with the postmortem interval (PMI).
- To identify promising ocular parameters for future forensic applications.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 26 eligible scientific papers.
- Categorization of evidence into eight thematic areas based on ocular parameters.
Main Results:
- Ocular parameters reviewed include corneal opacities, corneal thickness, pupil diameter, retinal changes, intraocular pressure, globe temperature, and crystalline alterations.
- Common limitations identified were small sample sizes, lack of robust statistics, and models valid only under ideal conditions or short PMIs.
Conclusions:
- Corneal thickness is a promising factor for estimating PMI.
- Methodological innovations are needed to apply these findings in forensic practice for reliable time since death estimation.
