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Abstract Deaths due to electrocution are infrequent. There has been a remarkable increase in the number of ”electrical tragedies” in the accidental cases due to carelessness and ignorance in most cases. Virtually all such deaths are accidental in natm-e with suicides much rarer and homicides least common . Deaths due to electrocution virtually always involve alternating current, it being more commonly used in Egypt. Another factor could be that hwnans are about 4-6 times more sensitive to alternating than to direct current. Sometimes the circwustances of the physical scene are unclear because of intentional alterations or the investigators inabil ity to reconstruct events leading to the injury. This may hinder the initial clinical assessment. The problems of investigation of cases of death (by electrocution) at the scene of death are weJI known to forensic pathologist. Another problem were lh<ll interna l examinat ion or cases died by electrocution were wlhelpful and the frequent occu1Tence of pelechial hemorrhage were not restricted to cases died by electricity and cannot be caused by asphyxia alone and cannot be relied upon . The study was conducted on samples from the skin, heart and big blood vessels on 20 cadavers <lied by causes related to clcctrocut1on either male or female was autopsied in Mansoura department and Zenhom morgue during the period from March /2003 to April /2005, and was examined histopathologically afler stained by haematoxylin and cosin stain (1 l&E). The changes observed were the thermal skin changes induced by electrocution and were compared with thennal skin changes in 5 cases died by bum (third degree) and anot her 5 cases died by fire arm. E1ectrocution induced histopathological changes in the skin were found; they were in the fonn of as changes in keratin layer in the form of focal splittjng from under layers, complete detachment from epidermal layer, partial melting of the superficial kerat in layer, honey-comb (Swiss chess) appearance, homogenizations, and clumping. Epidermal layer of the skin and shows that Epithelial streaming, Compact, and may be associated with total loss of cpidennis. There was also subcutaneous and sub-cpidennal hemorrhage. Homogenization and Hemorrhage of the Dennal skin layer. I lowever, by comparing these changes with other thermal changes by third degree burn and contact firn ann controlled specimen we found changes simi1ar to that occur from death by electrocution in the fonn of honey-comb appearance (Swiss-chess appearance), epithel ial streaming and hemorrhage and homogenization of subcutaneous. Histopathological changes induced by electrocution m the heart were found to cause myocardial fragmentation in (50%) of specimens while myocardial waviness in (40%), Contraction band in (40%) for and myocardial necrosis and scmTing in (1Q<%) of cases. Also, histopathological changes in media] smooth muscle cells of large arteries was found in only (30o/o) of specimens in the fonn of elongation and spiral dcfonnation of the medial smooth muscle cells. Ilowcver these finding was cJcarly observed more in cases found dead by electrocution in a bathroom. Thus, from both the previous observations of other authors and our observations by using histopathological examination on skin, heart and big blood vessel we can concluded that a routinely h1stopat holog1cal examination can be easily applicable to all cases suspected to be died by causes related to electricity passage. The technique is easy, fast, reliable, valid, non cost ly and available to use. So, we have to concluded that histopathological preparations serve to document observations allowing for peer review as well as review by other experts. They can be used beside circumstances evidences and external marks which may be found at autopsy to provide a graphic demonstration of the reality of diagnosis of electrocution deaths in suspected cases associated with limited external findings. |