Histopathological profile of fatal snake bite autopsy cases in a tertiary care center in South India

Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences

article

Sathish, K.¹  Shaha, Kusa Kumar²  Patra, Ambika Prasad³  Rekha, J. Sree³ 

[1] Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute;Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research;Department of Pathology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research

关键词: Snake bite;    Autopsy;    South India;    Occupational hazard;    Congestion;    Tubular necrosis;    Hemorrhagic infarction;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s41935-021-00218-6

学科分类：心脏病和心血管学

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Snake bite is a major public health problem, especially in the tropical areas of the world, which the World Health Organization aims to eradicate. According to the National Crime Records Bureau in India, where agriculture is the mainstay of employment attributes about 8660 mortalities in a year. Histopathological results are of immense help in establishing the cause of death in those snake bite cases where other circumstantial shreds of evidence are lacking. An autopsy-based prospective study was conducted on fatal cases of snake bite reported at a tertiary care center in south India over a period of 2 years. A total of 38 fatal snake bite cases were included in the study. Epidemiological data were collected and analyzed. Histopathological findings of the kidneys, heart, and endocrine glands (pituitary, adrenals, thyroid, and pancreas) were analyzed. The significant findings of the kidneys were distinct corticomedullary demarcation on the gross surface (65.8%) and congestion and acute tubular necrosis (55.3%) on histology. On the other hand, in the set of endocrine glands, adrenals and pituitary showed predominantly hemorrhagic infarction on the histological analysis (18.4% and 52.6%) respectively. The results of the current study enlighten the findings such as distinct corticomedullary demarcation and acute tubular necrosis in the kidneys and hemorrhagic infarction in the endocrine glands in a case of snake bite. It highlights the need for histopathological analysis in the cases of a fatal snake bite when other circumstantial and gross features become indecisive. This can aid immensely in a medico-legal investigation of snake bite cases.

【 授权许可】

CC BY