Vol 11, No 3 (2025)

BACKGROUND: Determination of the cause of death during forensic autopsy of bodies recovered from water remains a challenging expert task. The diagnostic algorithm relies on a comprehensive assessment of specific morphological features of drowning, general asphyxial manifestations, and laboratory findings. However, the diagnostic reliability of these features often raises doubts.

AIM: This work aimed to evaluate the diagnostic significance of morphological signs of drowning based on their frequency and statistical probability derived from archival data of the Moscow Region Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination for 2017–2019.

METHODS: It was a retrospective, single-center, observational study. Archival data from autopsy, histological, algological, and forensic chemical examinations of drowning cases in the Moscow Region from 2017 to 2019 were analyzed. Data were compiled into a database (Microsoft Excel). Qualitative variables were presented as absolute and relative frequencies with 95% confidence intervals. The Pearson χ² test and the Bonferroni correction were used for group comparisons and for pairwise comparisons, respectively. Quantitative data distribution was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: Of the total number of drowned individuals (n = 179), 81% were male. The median age of all deceased individuals was 42 years [29; 57]. In 69.8% of cases, the results of forensic chemical analysis of blood and urine for ethanol were positive. According to archival expert reports from the Moscow Region Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination, the most frequent (≥50%) diagnostic signs of drowning included: Paltaulf spots (89.9%), Sveshnikov sign (84.4%), foam in the tracheal and bronchial lumen (75.4%), emphysema and wet swelling of the lungs (87.2%), pulmonary edema (57.5%), rib impressions on the lung surface (53.6%), and quartz-containing mineral particles in the sphenoid sinus (76.0%) and in the left ventricular cavity (68.2%), in combination with general asphyxial signs. No statistically significant correlations were found between the frequency of drowning signs, lung weight, or degree of alcohol intoxication. None of the identified drowning signs alone provided absolute diagnostic accuracy. Based on the observed frequency distribution, a pilot computer model was developed to estimate the probability of drowning.

CONCLUSION: Only a comprehensive approach and combined assessment of diagnostic features, when properly interpreted, can ensure the formation of an evidence-based expert conclusion on the cause of death in individuals recovered from water.

BACKGROUND: At present, the study of morphological and radiological features of injuries resulting from explosions of various types of explosive devices is of great importance, since under combat conditions the majority of personnel casualties—both wounded and killed—occur as a result of blast trauma.

AIM: The study aimed to identify characteristic features and establish radiological signs of injuries caused by explosions of various types of grenades.

METHODS: It was an experimental single-center uncontrolled study. Explosions of F-1, RGN, RGO fragmentation grenades, and VOG-17 grenade rounds were performed under field conditions at a specially equipped testing range. As biological targets, porcine limb sections (fore and hind shanks) were used to simulate human tissue. After the experimental explosions, radiographic examination of the biological simulants was performed using a Mobicompact R-500 X-ray unit (MTL).

RESULTS: Explosion of defensive grenades (F-1, RGO) produced numerous fragments and demonstrated a pronounced brisant effect. Radiographs showed multiple foreign bodies of metallic density located both near the explosion epicenter and throughout the entire depth of the target. In contrast, offensive grenades (RGN) were characterized predominantly by the action of the blast wave and the formation of fewer fragments with relatively low initial velocity. This resulted in extensive skin and subcutaneous tissue damage with flap-like detachments, fragmentation of muscle fibers, and air pockets along wound tracts. Radiographic examination of biological simulants after VOG-17 detonation revealed single polymorphic foreign bodies (metallic and plastic), air pockets along wound tracts, and bone fractures with fragment displacement and longitudinal fissures.

CONCLUSION: This experimental study indicated that the radiological appearance of damaged object—including fracture patterns, soft-tissue destruction, and the number and morphology of foreign bodies—can be used to determine the type and class of explosive device involved.

BACKGROUND: This review evaluates naturalistic modeling of cerebral lobes practices among different ancestral societies within the framework of the growing interest in understanding the social and political dynamics of the Inca Empire in Tawantinsuyu. The article discusses the history, objectives, and importance of this practice from neuroanatomical and cultural perspectives.

AIM: To explore the potential associations between the practices of naturalistic modeling of cerebral lobes in the ancestral societies of Tawantinsuyu, with a focus on forensic anthropology.

METHODS: The studies were carefully selected using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) quality scale. Full-text publications from databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Embase, and Web of Science were analyzed from 1947 to 2024.

RESULTS: We identified 83 articles, of which 63 were then included in this systematic review. An analysis was performed on observational studies that collectively described 9,161 cases. Two main cranial styles—tabular and annular—were identified by applying varied mechanical apparatus, thereby resulting in several cranial shapes. Neuroanatomically, each modeling technique and the duration for which mechanical stress was applied, then influenced the solidification of cranial bones and association with the cranial lobes, particularly, the frontal, occipital, parietal, and temporal lobes differently.

CONCLUSIONS: In Tawantinsuyu, the practice of naturalistic modeling of cerebral lobes was used to demonstrate group identity, since the modeling of the cranial shape corresponding to a particular headdress was used to distinguish an individual’s social identity, separating different societal groups into ancestral societies. The custom has also been used to mark territory and emphasize native differences between groups, with potential cognitive implications that were largely unrecorded.

Bone proteomics is a rapidly evolving field in forensic medicine aimed at determining the postmortem interval. Unlike traditional approaches, this method enables quantitative and molecular-level analysis of protein composition changes in bone tissue. Highly degradation-resistant proteins are considered reliable biomarkers for estimating the postmortem interval, providing more accurate and objective results. Mass spectrometry, in combination with modern bioinformatics tools and machine learning technologies, allows for a detailed investigation of postmortem protein degradation processes and the identification of time-dependent molecular patterns. However, environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, soil composition, and microbial activity significantly affect protein preservation in bone tissue, underscoring the need for standardized analytical protocols.

This review summarizes key methods of bone proteomic analysis, prospects for its integration with metabolomics and lipidomics, and the potential of machine learning in postmortem interval estimation. Further research in this field should aim at validating biomarkers, standardizing techniques, and integrating these methods into forensic practice.

The development of forensic bone proteomics opens new possibilities, offering more precise data in complex medico-legal cases.

Circumstances of deaths in water are diverse, encompassing both relatively typical drowning cases and rarer causes such as injury from electrogenic aquatic animals. It is not uncommon for medical assistance rendered during or immediately after a water-related incident to contain errors that may result in an unfavorable outcome.

The article presents a detailed analysis of a representative case of asphyxia in a child in a swimming pool, which resulted in death 16 days later in a hospital setting. The sequence of medical interventions—from prehospital to specialized care—is described. Special attention is given to the interaction with investigative authorities in distinguishing between possible circumstances of death: drowning versus inadequate resuscitative measures. The necessity of interpreting potential iatrogenic complications strictly within the context of the initial cause of medical intervention is emphasized. The importance of strict adherence to water safety rules is also highlighted.

The article identifies contentious aspects of legal qualification in such cases and underscores the lack of a unified methodology for their forensic evaluation. Shortcomings commonly observed in forensic medical examinations of similar situations are noted, emphasizing the inadmissibility of a formal approach. Directions for improving expert practice and eliminating identified disadvantages are proposed.