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Estimating chronological age is crucial in forensic identification. The increased application of medical imaging in age analysis has facilitated the development of new quantitative methods for the macroscopic evaluation of bones. This study aimed to determine the association of age-related changes in the trabecular microstructure with chronological age for age estimation in forensic science through different non-invasive imaging techniques. This systematic review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. An electronic search was performed with PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane databases as well as with a Google Scholar search. Qualitative synthesis was performed using the Anatomical Quality Assessment tool. A detailed literature search yielded 3467 articles. A total of 14 articles were ultimately included in the study. A narrative approach was employed to synthesize the data. Microcomputed tomography, high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography, and cone beam computed tomography have been used for the quantitative estimation of age. These imaging techniques aid in identifying the trabecular bone microarchitectural parameters for chronological age estimation. Age-related changes in trabecular bone included a decrease in the bone volume fraction, trabecular number, and connectivity density and an increase in trabecular separation. This study also revealed that morphometric indices vary with age and anatomical site. This study is registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with the registration number CDRD42023391873., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Beetles (Coleoptera) are known to constitute forensic evidence in medico-legal investigations as their presence can be used to date human remains in almost all decomposition stages. Many forensic studies focus on the successional colonization pattern of flies (Diptera); however, beetles have not so far been studied extensively for this aspect. A beetle of the genus Afromorgus Scholtz, 1986, A. chinensis (Boheman, 1858) (Scarabaeoidea: Trogidae), was found beneath a late decaying rabbit carcass at Paya Indah Wetland, Dengkil, Malaysia, for the first time. Both genus and species are already known to occur in Malaysia from literature.

Frontal sinus has unique anatomical features that are distinct to every population. However, the distribution of frontal sinus patterns has yet to be explored in the Malaysian population. This study aimed to describe the distribution of frontal sinus patterns among adult Malaysians. 409 adult Malaysian posteroanterior skull radiographs, consisting of 200 males and 209 females of Malay, Chinese, and Indian races aged between 20-69 years old, were included in the study. The frontal sinus patterns were classified according to total and percentage of presence or absence of frontal sinus, symmetry or asymmetrical (right or left dominant), unilateral absence (right or left), bilateral absence, and lobulation. The findings showed that bilateral presence of frontal sinus is common, in 95.4% of individuals and bilateral absence was noted in 2.7% individuals. Unilateral absence was found in 2.0% of individuals. Asymmetrical frontal sinus was observed in 54.5% of population meanwhile 40.8% showed symmetrical frontal sinus. The majority of individuals, regardless of sex, race, and age, possessed 1 to 3 lobes on both sides of the frontal sinus. The findings suggest that the frontal sinus is highly asymmetric, and the absence of the frontal sinus is rare. This morphological variation provides an insight into the landmarking placement for measurement during forensic application and assists neurosurgeons in surgical procedure to avoid breaching of the frontal sinus.

Aims: The present study aimed to determine the epidemiological aspects of medico-legal autopsies and manifestation of coronary atherosclerosis., Methods: This was a cross sectional study involving 222 cases recruited from National Institute of Forensic Medicine (NIFM) Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) and Department of Forensic Medicine Hospital Sungai Buloh (HSgB) for a period of 15 months, from December 2012 to April 2014. Sociodemographic and autopsy findings, including the cause and manner of death were documented., Results: Male and female subjects aged 18-70 years were recruited. Males contributed to 86% of the total subjects and comprised 61% of young adults. Road traffic accidents were the primary cause of death, contributing almost 50% of the subjects. One third of the cases comprised of death due to natural causes, wherein almost 75% of the subjects within this category succumbed to sudden cardiac death. Coronary artery disease (CAD) contributed to 60% of the sudden cardiac death (SCD). Single and double-vessel diseases were the most common pattern of atherosclerosis. In almost 80% of CAD cases, atherosclerosis affected the left anterior descending artery (LAD)., Conclusion: Cardiovascular diseases were the most significant natural cause of sudden death with a staggering figure of 75%. CAD was the single most commonly encountered pathology within the SCD. Most cases presented with single and double-vessel diseases, observed in all subjects, as well as the young adult population.