Hidden Trauma: An Analysis of the Identification of Contusions on Different Skin Tones

While abrasions and lacerations are typically easily identified, darker pigmentation of the skin may obscure contusions. Forensic pathology literature shows a disproportionate number of illustrations of contusions on lighter skin tones compared to darker ones. Skin and soft tissue dissection is the most reliable method to confirm contusions.The authors seek to establish a correlation between skin tone and the visual identification of contusions, confirmed by soft tissue dissection. Additionally, they aim to determine the utility of specialized dissections for identifying contusions on different skin tones to identify cases that may benefit from such procedures.A review of cases from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office from 2014 to 2024 was conducted. The office database was searched for deaths in custody, causes including "assault," and "child abuse." Autopsy photos were compiled into predissection and postdissection sets, reviewed for skin tone, visual identification of contusions, and final confirmation of soft tissue hemorrhage.Results found a negative association between skin color and accurate visual identification of contusions and determined that decedents with a skin tone of 7 or higher on the Massey-Martin scale may benefit from specialized dissections.