Medico-Legal Autopsy

FM2.
11,12,13
COMPETENCY:
1. Describe and discuss autopsy procedures including
post-mortem examination, different types of autopsies,
aims and objectives of postmortem examination,
2. Describe the legal requirements to conduct
postmortem examination and procedures to conduct
medico-legal post-mortem examination
3. Describe and discuss obscure autopsy
MEDICO-LEGAL AUTOPSY
Autopsy means postmortem examination of a body .
Types
1. Medico-legal Autopsy
2. Clinical / Pathological Autopsy
3. Autopsy for Academic purpose
(Anatomy Department)
OBJECTIVES:-
1. To find out the actual cause of death

2. To find out how the injury was caused by
3. To find out the time since death
4. To establish the identity of the victim
5. To collect the evidence to find out the victim and
criminal
6. To collect organ or biological tissues for evidence
7. To find out the live birth, death birth or viability of
an infant
RULES OF (LEGAL REQUIREMENT) MEDICO-LEGAL
AUTOPSY
1. Labeling the body as soon as arrives in the

mortuary
2. Should be conducted in mortuary not in private
place
3. Should be performed as early as possible when
the requisition papers received
4. Medical officer should go through the inquest
papers before starting the Autopsy .
5. Examination should be done in day light
6. Body should be identified by the accompany
police constable
7. No unauthorized person should be allowed to
present
8. Details examination should be carried out
9. Some important negative findings should be
noted
10. After autopsy body should be handed over to
police person
AUTOPSY REPORT : Consists of
Preamble
Body of the Report
Conclusion
PREAMBLE(PRELIMINARY) :- Consists of
1. Autopsy order for examination

2. Time of arrival of the body in mortuary
3. Date and place of exanimation
4. Name , age , sex of the deceased
5. Means of identification of the body
BODY OF THE REPORT: - Consists of
1. Complete description of the external and

internal examination
2. Description of nature , direction , exact situation
and dimension of the wounds
3. Number and diagram of the wounds
4. Should consists all positive and relevant findings
COUSIONCLN: - Should be
1. Based on the postmortem findings
2. Conciseness and clear language
3. Report should be honest , objective and

scientific
EXAMINATION IN PROPER :-
- Photography
- External examination
- Internal examination
EXTERNAL EXAMINATION
1. Details description of the clothes , number , colour

, tear , loss buttons , blood stain , seminal stain ,
grease stain
2. Nail scraping should be preserved
3. Height , weight , general state body build ,

development , nourishment
4. Vaginal and anal swabs are to be taken in sexual
assault cases
5. External wound should be systematically
examined
6. A list of articles should made and handed over to

the police
7. Time since death to be determined

INTERNAL EXAMINATION
SKIN INCISION :- 3 types
“I” shaped
“Y” shaped
Modified “Y” shaped
“I”- shaped incision: starting from the chin to symphsis
pubis, passing either right or left of the umbilicus as it is
dense and difficult to stitch after Post-Mortem is over.
“I”- shaped incision

“Y” shaped Incision: Incision started from the close
to the acromial process, extends down below the
breasts to the xyphoid process on both sides, then
down to the symphysis pubis.
“Y” shaped
Incision
Modified “Y” shaped Incision: incision starts from
the suprasternal notch to symphysis pubis, then
incision is extended from suprasternal notch to
over the midpoint of clavicle on the both sides,
then passes upwards over the neck behind the
ears.
Modified “Y” shaped Incision

METHODS OF POST-MORTEM
EXAMINATION
SKIN INCISION
METHOD OF OPENING THE BODY
1.En Mass-Method Letulle’s Method

2. Virchow’s Method Virchow Method
3. En block Method Ghon’s Method
4. In situ Dissection Rokitansky’s Method
Method
PRESERVATION OF VISCERAS: -
Suspected cases of poisoning
1. Stomach and its contents , part of small intestine

and its contents ( about 30 cm) are in one bottle
2. Liver ( 200 – 300 g ) ,Spleen, the half of the each
kidney in another bottle
3. Blood about 30 -50 ml in one container
4. Control sample in one bottle
PRESERVATIVES :-
1.Saturated solution of common salt

2. Rectified spirit except in case of
- Alcohol and kerosene
- Chloroform , ether
- Chloral hydrate
- Formic acid and phenol
- Formaldehyde , acetic acid
- Phosphorous , paraldehyde
3 . Sodium and potassium fluoride

4 . Thymol → for urine
EXAMINATION OF MUTILATED BODY
Mutilated bodies are examination in following ways →

- Whether belongs to human or animal ?
- Whether one or more bodies ?
- Sex of the body
- Stature of the body
- Identity of the body
- Manner of separation of the parts
- Time since death Cause of death Ante mortem or
postmortem
EXAMINATION OF BONES :- Same as the above to
be done
EXHUMATION OF THE BODY :-

Means , the digging out of an already buried body
from the grave .
PROCEDURE :- The body is exhumed in the supervision
of
- Medical officer
- Magistrate
- Police officer
- If possible relatives should be present
- It should be conducted in natural light
- Details description of the burial
- Photography
- Sample of earth about half kg.
- Body should be identified by close relatives
FM2.13:
OBSCURE AND NEGATIVE AUTOPSY

Definition:
In general, a negative or obscure autopsy is one
where the cause of death remains unascertained
despite a complete, meticulous autopsy, including
gross and microscopical examination, toxicological
analysis and laboratorical investigations fail to reveal
a cause of death.
Such autopsies where the cause of death remains

undermined despite a meticulous workup of the
cases are not uncommon in forensic practice.
The obscure autopsy is more common in younger
age group.
CAUSE OF DEATH:
1.Natural disease: Epilepsy, paroxysmal fibrillation.
2. Poisoning: Anesthetic over dose, narcotics,
neurotoxic, cytotoxic or plant poisoning.
3. Conceal trauma.
4. Biochemical disturbances: Uremia, diabetes etc.
5. Endocrine disturbances.
7. Miscellaneous: allergic disorders, drug
idiosyncrasy.
2. Negative Autopsy: An autopsy for which the gross
and histology findings do not provide an-adequate
explanation for the cause of death
Example: sudden heart stroke with no h/o Cardiac

diseases and few cases like black magic and jaadu
(Controversial but still few cases noted).
At about 2 to 5% of all postmortem cases, the cause

of death remains unknown, even after all laboratorial
examination including: biochemical, microbiological,
virological, microscopical and toxicological
examinations.
CAUSES ARE:
1. Inadequate history
2. Inadequate external and internal
examinations.
3. Insufficient laboratory examination.
4. Lack of toxicological examination.
5. Lack of training of a doctor.
Obscure autopsy: is important in cases where

no significant finding are discovered in autopsy

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FM2.

Autopsy means postmortem examination of a body .

1. To find out the actual cause of death

1. Labeling the body as soon as arrives in the

1. Autopsy order for examination

1. Complete description of the external and

1. Based on the postmortem findings

2. Conciseness and clear language

3. Report should be honest , objective and

1. Details description of the clothes , number , colour

2. Nail scraping should be preserved

3. Height , weight , general state body build ,

6. A list of articles should made and handed over to

7. Time since death to be determined

SKIN INCISION :- 3 types

“I”- shaped incision

Modified “Y” shaped Incision

1.En Mass-Method Letulle’s Method

Suspected cases of poisoning

1. Stomach and its contents , part of small intestine

1.Saturated solution of common salt

3 . Sodium and potassium fluoride

Mutilated bodies are examination in following ways →

EXHUMATION OF THE BODY :-

OBSCURE AND NEGATIVE AUTOPSY

Such autopsies where the cause of death remains

Example: sudden heart stroke with no h/o Cardiac

At about 2 to 5% of all postmortem cases, the cause

Obscure autopsy: is important in cases where

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