Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

Background: Forensic odontology is a fascinating branch of dentistry which primarily involves the identification of living and deceased individual by comparing the ante and post-mortem records. Aim: This study aims to analyse the awareness about forensic odontology among police personnel in Chennai district, Tamil Nadu, India. Method and Material: Data was collected by means of a questionnaire containing a set of 20 questions that assess the knowledge about forensic odontology, their attitude about the field and their willingness to utilize the forensic odontologist in their practice. Statistical Analysis: The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 19.0. was used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics were employed. Results: The study included both male (500) and female (57) officials. About 23% of them were aware that a forensic odontologist is a general dentist and 51.9% of the participants knew that forensic odontologist is required in case of victim identification in mass disasters, rape cases and child abuse. 75% of the participants agreed that tooth can be used as a tool for identification of gender, age and in DNA analysis. 69.2% of the participants did not agree on the requirement of a forensic odontologist in a crime scene investigation. Conclusion: Majority of the police officials felt that there exists a less recognition of forensic dentistry in India, as well, the officials felt that the forensic dentistry plays an essential role only in rape cases and related murder.

Background: Violent asphyxial deaths, like hanging, make up a significant portion of unnatural deaths globally. Despite being most frequently used for suicide, hangings in homicides or accidents are nonetheless uncommon. Aim: This study aimed to analyze neck structural injuries in hanging-related deaths through autopsy findings, explicitly focusing on soft tissue injuries, fractures of the hyoid bone and thyroidcartilage, and the correlation with age and gender. Methodology: Over the course of three years, a prospective analysis of 249 hangingrelated deaths through medicolegal autopsy was carried out in a tertiary healthcare facility in Maharashtra. The study excluded decomposed bodies and those with ambiguous causes of death. Results: The results revealed that 71.49% of victims were male, with a mean age of 31.75 years, and the most common ligature materials included dupatta, rope, and saree. Among the examined neck structures, soft tissue hemorrhage occurred in 6.83% of cases, and fractures were observed in 8.03%, with hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage fractures being the most frequent. Fractures were significantly more common in victims aged 40 years or older (21.67%) compared to those under  40 years (3.7%) (p = 0.0001). No cases of cricoid cartilage fractures were identified. While neck structure fractures occurred slightly more frequently in males (8.43%) than in females (7.04%), this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: This study highlights the complex interplay of physical, psychological, and cultural factors in hanging deaths, with a particular focus on the vulnerability of young males. It emphasizes the need for targeted mental health care, thorough autopsy protocols, and further research into the impact of age-related anatomical changes and socioeconomic influences on these tragic events.

Introduction: Palatal rugae are unique anatomical ridges located on the anterior hard palate, remaining stable throughout an individual’s life. In forensic odontology and orthodontics, they serve as key landmarks. The stability of palatal rugae, coupled with their resistance to change, suggests potential diagnostic value, especially in sagittal malocclusion classified as Class I, II, or III by Angle’s system. This study investigates the association between palatal rugae patterns and sagittal malocclusion, exploring whether their morphological characteristics can aid in malocclusion diagnosis. Objectives: To examine whether palatal rugae patterns (length and width) are significantly associated with sagittal malocclusions (Class I, II, and III) and to assess their potential role as non-invasive diagnostic tools for orthodontic assessment. Methodology: This cross-sectional clinical study involved 300 participants, aged 18 to 28, divided equally into three groups based on untreated sagittal malocclusion: Class I, Class II, and Class III, according to Angle’s classification. Strict inclusion  criteria ensured participants had no history of orthodontic treatment, systemic diseases, facial trauma, or habits affecting palatal anatomy. Pre-treatment maxillary dental models were made using high-quality alginate impressions and dental stone casts, focusing on primary palatal rugae for analysis. Key parameters measured were the mesio-distal (MD) length and anterio-posterior (AP) width of the rugae, with data collected using digital calipers. Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS Ver 26.0, employing ANOVA to compare rugae dimensions between malocclusion groups, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient to assess the relationship between rugae patterns and malocclusion. A significance level of p<0.05 was set. Results: The paired sample t-test results revealed no statistically significant difference in palatal rugae dimensions before and after orthodontic treatment across the regions studied (right and left medial and lateral rugae). For mesiodistal (MD) measurements, the mean difference for right-side rugae ranged from -0.0487 to 0.07806, while left-side rugae differences ranged from -0.0842 to 0.0837, with p-values consistently greater than 0.05. Similarly, for anterio-posterior (AP) measurements, the mean difference ranged from -0.0601 to 0.2622 across both sides, with no significant p-values observed. These findings confirm that palatal rugae patterns remained stable post-treatment, indicating no measurable changes in their dimensions.  Conclusion: Palatal rugae patterns are not significantly associated with sagittal malocclusion, and their dimensions remain stable following orthodontic interventions. They can serve as reliable anatomical landmarks in orthodontics and forensic identification, offering potential for non-invasive diagnostics in clinical settings.

Introduction: Sexual dimorphism in adult human skulls is critical in forensic anthropology and human identification. This study aims to assess the efficacy of multivariate analysis in estimating sex based on cranial measurements. Methodology: A total of 108 adult skulls (58 male, 50 female) from a population in Maharashtra, India, were analyzed using 14 cranial parameters. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare the accuracy of sex determination. Descriptive statistics, identification points (IP), and demarking points (DP) were used to calculate ranges, means, and significance between male and female skulls. To improve accuracy, multivariate linear discriminant function analysis was used. Results: The results showed an overall accuracy of 76.85%, with a classification accuracy of 84.48% for males and 68% for females. According to the study, males often had larger and more robust characteristics, while cranial measurements like cranial length, width, and height showed considerable sexual dimorphism. Conclusion: The results reveal that multivariate analysis remarkably improves sex determination compared to univariate methods. It is crucial to use multiple parameters for sex determination and implement population-specific changes, which may improve accuracy even further. Overall, this study shows the importance of multivariate techniques in forensic identification, mainly when only skeletal remains are available for identification.

Context: The identification of the deceased is essential to the forensic investigation and Sex is one of the most important characteristics that may be used to determine identity. The characteristics of the foramen magnum, according to research, are useful in determining gender. Aims: To compare Foramen Magnum measurements between Male and Female in autopsy cases. Settings and Design: This study is a Cross sectional analytical study was conducted at the medicolegal center of a Tertiary Care Hospital of Western Maharashtra. Methods and Material: The study used a sample of 90 autopsy cases (45 males and 45 females) from the mortuary of a tertiary care hospital in Western Maharashtra, India. The sagittal and transverse diameters of the foramen magnum were measured using a divider and sliding vernier calliper. Results: The results of the study showed that the transverse diameter of the foramen magnum was significantly larger in males than females (p < 0.0001), while there was no significant difference in the sagittal diameter between the two genders (p = 0.11). Conclusions: The study concludes that the transverse diameter of the foramen magnum is a useful parameter for sex determination in forensic investigations.

Background: Railway track fatalities are a significant cause of medicolegal autopsies in India, with the increasing frequency of such incidents raising concerns about safety and trauma patterns. This study aimed to evaluate the demographic profile, injury patterns, and manner of death among railway track fatalities in Secunderabad, Telangana. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad. A total of 100 railway track fatalities, subjected to medicolegal autopsies from 1st October 2023 to 30th September 2024, were included. Data were extracted from autopsy records, including demographic details, external and internal injuries, and the manner of death (suicide, accident, or homicide). Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics and the chi-square test to assess associations between variables. Results: The majority of victims were males (82%), with the highest number of fatalities in the 41-50 years age group (22%). The manner of death was classified as suicide (56%) and accident (44%), with no homicides reported. External injuries were most commonly abrasions and contusions (100%), followed by lacerations and amputations. Internal injuries were severe, with the brain being the most commonly affected organ (74%). The cause of death was primarily multiple injuries (74%). Conclusions: The study highlights the predominance of suicides among males in railway track fatalities. It emphasizes the need for targeted safety measures, particularly addressing the high incidence of suicides and accidental deaths. Further research is required to explore regional variations and to develop preventive strategies.

Introduction: This study examines the relationship between age and sagittal suture closure patterns using both cross-sectional and external measurements. Age is one of the big three of identification. With changing pattern of fusion we wanted to study if there is an association between age and suture closure at external and cross-sectional area in skull CT films. Methodology: This study examines the closure patterns of sagittal sutures using CT scans analyzed with Radiant DICOM software, correlating them with chronological age and gender. The suture was divided into three pasts-S1, S2 and S3. A total of 100 images were assessed, with intra- and inter-observer reliability ensured through re-evaluations. The study aimed to explore relationships between cross-sectional and external suture closure patterns using statistical analysis. Results: Pearson’s correlations and linear regression were used to identify statistically significant associations. The cross-sectional areas along the sagittal suture exhibit varying degrees of positive correlation with external   measurements, with S3 having the strongest correlations. External measurements at S1, S2, S3 correlated strongly with age, while cross-sectional measurements have weaker positive association. Conclusion: External measurements at S1, S2, S3 correlated strongly with age, while cross-sectional measurements have weaker positive association. S3 has the strongest correlation between external stage and cross-sectional stage.

Background: Necrosis in lymph node biopsy is relatively common observation. It may be seen in wide range of neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions. However, the pattern and extent of necrosis are often distinctive for certain entities, or at least may suggest a limited number of possibilities in the differential diagnosis. This emphasizes the need for assessing the diagnostic utility of aspiration biopsy cytology of non-neoplastic lymphadenopathies accompanied by necrosis. Objectives: 1) to study the cytological features in non-neoplastic lymph node aspiration accompanied by necrosis. 2) To correlate with histopathology wherever possible. Material: A total of 193 patients with lymphadenopathy were included in the study. This is a prospective study, undertaken in the Department of Pathology, J.J.M. Medical College, Davangere, during the period of July 2014 to June 2016. Result: Our study included 193 patients with lymphadenopathy accompanied by necrosis. Age group ranged from four months to 82 years. Among the 193 patients, most common non neoplastic lesions with necrosis encountered were tubercular lymphadenitis in 134 cases and acute supportive lymphadenitis in 52 cases. Conclusion: Fine needle aspiration cytology of the lesions in lymph node was proved to be useful technique for the evaluation of patients having lymphadenopathies with necrosis. The pattern and extent of necrosis suggests a limited number of possibilities in differential diagnosis.

Background: Suicidal deaths reflect the prevailing social set up and mental health status of the region. Female suicidal deaths show mirror to the society with regards to universally accepted values of equality and justice. Objective: The current study was conducted with an objective to study the pattern of suicidal deaths in females among reproductive age group. Methodology: The present study is an observational, cross-sectional study conducted in Department of Forensic Medicine at a government tertiary care institutes’ mortuary in which 72 autopsy cases of suicidal deaths in females of reproductive age group were taken out of total 553 autopsies conducted at the mortuary of SRT Rural Government Medical College, Maharashtra during January 2021 to December 2021. Results: The most common cause of death in majority of deaths was Burns (45%) followed by poisoning (26%) and hanging (18%) and drowning (11%). Conclusions: Most of the cases of female suicides can be prevented with timely, evidence-based and often cost-effective interventions. This study shows the pattern of reproductive age female suicide cases in rural areas of an economically backward region in Central India and access to psychiatric counselling and legal remedial measures along with equal opportunities for economic independence, basic education and awareness of rights can help to eliminate the shocking trend.