Forensic characteristics of starvation deaths: A case report and literature review

Starvation-related deaths are not uncommon worldwide particularly in economically underdeveloped regions. However, the forensic characterization of such cases remains limited due to underdeveloped local forensic systems. Here we presented a case of a neonate who died of starvation after being abandoned in the wild for 14 days, and 9 additional reported cases were identified by a systematic search of PubMed and MEDLINE databases. Based on these findings, the key forensic characteristics were summarized. Significant reductions in body or organ weight were consistently documented across all ten cases; PAS staining of the liver revealed markedly depleted glycogen stores in four cases. Of the four cases involving children under ten years of age, three demonstrated severe thymic atrophy. In our case, we observed pronounced calcification of thymic corpuscles. These findings suggest that thymic pathological changes may play a potential role in the forensic assessment of starvation deaths in children. In the absence of forensic standards for diagnosing starvation deaths, our case report and consolidated review provide valuable reference points for the forensic evaluation of similar incidents.