الفهرس 
Histology of normal skin, myocardium and arteriesOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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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.