Histological quantification of decomposed human livers: a potential aid for estimation of the post-mortem interval?

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine if a novel scoring-based model for histological quantification of decomposed human livers could improve the precision of post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation for bodies from an indoor setting. The hepatic decomposition score (HDS) system created consists of five liver scores (HDS markers): cell nuclei and cell structure of hepatocytes, bile ducts, portal triad, and architecture. A total of 236 forensic autopsy cases were divided into a training dataset (n = 158) and a validation dataset (n = 78). All cases were also scored using the total body score (TBS) method. We specified a stochastic relationship between the log-transformed accumulated degree-days (log10ADD) and the taphonomic findings, using a multivariate regression model to compute the likelihood function. Three models were applied, based on (i) five HDS markers, (ii) three partial body scores (head, trunk, limbs), or (iii) a combination of the two. The predicted log10ADD was compared with the true log10ADD for each case. The fitted models performed equally well in the training dataset and the validation dataset. The model comprising both scoring methods had somewhat better precision than either method separately. Our results indicated that the HDS system was statistically robust. Combining the HDS markers with the partial body scores resulted in a better representation of the decomposition process and might improve PMI estimation of decomposed human remains.

Quantitative histologic evaluation reveals different degree of liver atrophy in cachectic and starved dogs

“…In our sampled population, the degree of postmortem decomposition could be deemed equivalent to grade 3 of the 1–5 scoring system published in human literature. 2 It is then still plausible that, with higher degrees of postmortem decomposition, the investigator may fail to identify some portal tracts; deploying special stains for collagen could offer valuable assistance in performing such a task. It is important to underline that, when hampered by severe decomposition, the total count of portal tracts would be underestimated, failing to support a potential true starvation case.…”

“…The degree of tissue autolysis varied according to the postmortem interval, which was unknown for most of the bodies, from minimal postmortem artefacts (in reasonably fresh cadavers) to marked autolysis (in cadavers presented after a prolonged postmortem interval). 2 , 4 Postmortem alterations of the hepatic microanatomy were scored as follows: 1 = mild = minimal changes, including loss of erythrocyte outline and detachment of vascular endothelium in sinusoids, normal cytoplasm and nuclei of hepatocytes visible, with identifiable portal tracts; 2 = moderate = loss of cohesion between hepatocytes, loss of cytoplasm detail, but with nuclei and cellular outline still visible, and identifiable portal tracts; 3 = severe = loss of nuclear details of hepatocytes with only hepatic cords discernible, but still identifiable portal tracts. In particular, the bile ducts within the portal tracts appeared more resilient that surrounding parenchyma to severe autolysis and served as a landmark for the identification of the portal tract.…”

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“…One of the options for solving this problem is to increase the accuracy and objectification of the structural and functional changes in the internal organs of the animal body of different morphological types in the post-mortem period (Ceciliason et al, 2021).…”

La importancia de los fenómenos cadavéricos en el tanatocronodiagnóstico

“…Este periodo comienza a los 7 días de la Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, Ciudad de México, México. ISN 2707-2207/ISSN 2707-2215 (en línea), enero-febrero, 2023, Volumen 7, Número 1 p 2500 muerte y termina al destruir por completo todo tejido blando del cuerpo (21,29,34,35).…”