Citation

Blanco Pampín J, García Rivero SA, Tamayo NM, Hinojal Fonseca R. Leg. Med. (Elsevier) 2005; 7(2): 89-95.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Ministry of Justice, C/Viena s/n, 15701 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. cmpampin@usc.es

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Japanese Society of Legal Medicine, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.legalmed.2004.09.001

PMID

15708331

Abstract

In a retrospective study of 52 autopsy cases of drowning fatalities, death circumstances, macroscopical and histological findings of the stomach mucosa were carefully studied. Results were compared with a control group, composed by 80 cases of different kinds of asphyxia (hanging, chocking and suffocation), skull injuries, sudden cardiac death and poisonings. The spectrum of gastric lesions observed during autopsy in drowning group, are presented. Stomach mucosa tears were found in 21.1% of the cases of drowning, preferably on fundus (54.5%). The control group does not show similar lesions. The physiopathological mechanism of its production, are also discussed. On sight of these results, it is concluded that the macro and microscopical examination of the stomach could be useful as an adjunct procedure for drowning diagnosis. The presence of gastric mucosa lesions has an intravital significance and could be correlated with other anatomical or histological signs of drowning for the diagnosis. In every case, necropsic examination must be carried out as soon as possible in order to avoid putrefactive artifacts.

Language: en