Citation

Gentile G, Andreola S, Bailo P, Boracchi M, Fociani P, Piccinini A, Zoja R. J. Forensic Sci. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Sezione di Medicina Legale e delle Assicurazioni, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli, 37, 20133, Milano, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.14255

PMID

31821551

Abstract

In electrocutions, death may be caused by alterations in the heart conduction system provoking ventricular fibrillation. This study aims to identify histological cardiac markers of high- and low-voltage electrocution. Two groups of decedents were evaluated: group A included 14 fatalities caused by high- or low-voltage electrocution and group B (control) included 14 fatalities due to other traumatic or disease causes. Myocardial sampling with microscopic examination was performed on all the hearts using the hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome stains to investigate morphological characteristics that could indicate the damage caused by high- and low-voltage electrocutions. Interstitial myocardial hemorrhagic infiltration was the only differentiating finding, which was shown only in high-voltage electrocution. This pathological finding has not been previously reported, and it may be specific to high-voltage electrocution deaths. Further studies are warranted.

© 2019 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Language: en

Keywords

electrocution high voltage; electrocution low voltage; forensic pathology; forensic science; heart; interstitial cardiac hemorrhage