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Histological insights in decomposed bodies: A case report challenging the homicide hypothesis
Cecilia Frigerio1, Jean-Loup Gassend2, Katarzyna Michaud2
1University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Abstract:
European recommendations regarding medico-legal autopsies indicate that specimens from the main organs should be sampled for histology in all cases. In reality however, depending on local practices, available funding and personal choice by the physician, these recommendations are not always followed. The National Association of Medical Examiners (USA) guidelines indicate that histological examinations should be performed if no obvious cause of death is found at autopsy, and that histology is not recommended in severely decomposed bodies. With this case report, we present the case of a suspected homicide involving a severely decomposed body, in which histological examinations of the heart revealed unexpected information that significantly changed the interpretation of the case, highlighting the importance of performing histological examinations in all cases.
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