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The microscopic examination of a hanging cutaneous furrow, stained with Goldner's Masson trichrome staining, highlighted an abnormal dyeing inversion affinity of the connective tissue - red instead of green - located in the region of maximal cutaneous compression and exsiccation. To identify if this different stainability could be considered as an intrinsic characteristic of all biological tissues compressed and exsiccated, we have assessed different cadaveric skin samples that underwent traumatic detrimental phenomena that can produce such effects. We collected skin fragments from 24 corpses deceased because of gunshot injuries, electrocution, hanging, and heat-induced lesions, sampling the areas directly involved, as well as skin specimens to use as a control. The slides were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and two different protocols of Goldner's Masson trichrome staining (one homemade and one commercial kit). The inversion of the staining affinity of the connective tissue was observed in 83% of the cutaneous samples, using both the Goldner's Masson trichrome staining protocols. This phenomenon was not observed in any of the control cases. Therefore, the inversion of the staining affinity of the connective tissue dyed with Goldner's Masson trichrome staining may represent a histomorphological aspect that must be expected when the skin has been affected by specific detrimental modalities able of producing compression and exsiccation., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The banning of the heavy metal thallium (Tl) in many Countries, because of its toxicity, led to a remarkable reduction of the number of cases of poisoning both accidental and homicidal forcing us to better study the pharmacokinetics of this poison using new technologies. The Authors, in this work, are reporting the case of a collective thallium toxicosis caused by voluntary adulteration of an infusion with thallium sulfate, occurred in 8 members of the same familial nucleus; the administration of Prussian Blu resulted to be ineffective for 3 of these members that died at a later time. The most peculiar aspects of this rare manner of poisoning are discussed; the analytical procedures used, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) in particular, resulted to be fundamental in the forensic diagnosis process of acute poisoning cause by thallium., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The retention of gauze within the mediastinum is considered an exceptional finding. We are presenting the case of a woman, affected by aorto-mitral valvulopathy, in whose mediastinum was found, during the autopsy, a gauzome without signs of active phlogosis, which had been "forgotten" in a previous surgery, acted 14 years before the death. A 39 y.o. woman had received surgical treatment of double aorto-mitral valve substitution and tricuspid plastic. At age 53, she successfully received surgery once again at a different hospital; she then started rehabilitation therapy, during which she deceased due to sudden hematemesis with infectious multi organ failure. During the autopsy, a 5 cm long surgical gauze was found in the mediastinum. A SEM/EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) exam was ran on the foreign body and a sample of the same gauze used in the cardiac-surgical department of the hospital the victim had passed away in, to act a comparison between the two kinds of material. The exam showed a morphological difference between exogenous fibers incorporated within the gauzome and the control gauze. This case highlights the diagnostic and interpretative challenges in finding a foreign body within the mediastinum without signs of active phlogosis. SEM/EDX investigations executed on the gauzome and a "control gauze" allowed the attribution of malpractice to the first hospital the victim had been operated in 14 years before the exitus. The SEM/EDX exam confirms its importance in correctly identifying the case, which becomes an example for similar happenings., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Congenital diverticula of the left ventricle, very rare malformations, are determined by an abnormal embryonic development of the ventricular wall and can be isolated or associated to other cardiac anomalies. In most of the cases, these pathologies are not symptomatic and in some patients can be associated to ventricular arrhythmia, cardiac rupture with tamponade and sudden death. Authors are presenting the case of a sudden death in an 8-weeks-old newborn due to rupture of a cardiac congenital diverticulum of the left ventricle, discovered only at the moment of the autopsic examination. The parents of the victim pressed charges against the medical staff that was appointed to the cares, blaming them with malpractice. The missed diagnosis of a cardiac congenital diverticulum of the left ventricle, a rare pathology, reflects the trickiness of the medical management that can lead to medico-legal controversies and, even though such rare conditions must be always taken into consideration when investigating possible dysfunction causing the death, diagnostic difficulties, in the case in exam, justify the missed diagnosis intra-vitam of cardiac ventricular diverticulum., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)