Hydatid Disease, an Uncommon Etiology of Death in Forensic Practice.

ABSTRACT: In Tunisia, hydatid cyst is an endemic parasitic disease. The cyst may remain asymptomatic, discovered accidentally, or in case of a complication, the most serious of which is sudden death. We propose, in this article, to analyze the degree of involvement of the cyst in the mechanism of death, through the review of 25 cases. A total of 7932 autopsy cases were performed during the study period. Twenty-five cases of hydatid cyst discovered at autopsy were collected and death was attributed to hydatid cyst in 13 cases. The seat of the cyst was variable and death was due to anaphylaxis in 10 cases, to hydatious embolism in 2 cases and to cardiac arrhythmia, resulting from a cardiac localization of a large hydatid cyst, in 1 case.Although rare, echinococcosis can be a life-threatening disease. Its involvement in the death mechanism remains difficult in many cases.

When the Hijab causes death in workplace : A case series.

In eastern countries, Muslim females wear the Hijab, all the time, conforming to a moral standard of modesty and privacy. Worn in workplaces, the Hijab can causes accidents leading to death. In this context, we report three fatal work accidents related to the Hijab. In two cases, death occurred instantaneously. In all cases, death was attributed to mechanical asphyxiation.

Rights and duties of patients suffering from Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Tunisia.

The spread of the disease of HIV has been decreased since the promotion and protection of human rights. In Tunisian law, patient infected by HIV, as every citizen, enjoys of all his rights without any discrimination, including the right to life and dignity, the right to care access, the free choice of doctor, the right to be informed and consent before any health care and specially the right to medical confidentiality. The Code of patients rights and the law no° 2007-12 of 12 February 2007 supplementing the law no° 92-71 of 27 July 1992 related to transmitted diseases ensure the protection and the respect of these rights. However, law requires a great sense of responsibility from patients and obliges them to avoid any unconscious behavior that can risk transmission of the disease. But, the application of these laws raises always many ethical problems that need reflexions.

Age estimation from the sternal end of the fourth rib: a study of the validity of Iscan's Method in Tunisian male population.

The aim of this study was to assess the fourth rib phase Iscan method on a Tunisian sample. One hundred and eight (108) specimens of sternal ends of fourth ribs of Tunisian male population were collected during forensic autopsies performed in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Pathology of the University Hospital Fattouma Bourguiba of Monastir. Two operators, independently, assigned each rib to Iscan's phase. The data obtained by the two operators were analyzed using SPSS 17.0 and MedCalc. The repeatability and accuracy of Iscan method was tested by kappa coefficient (κ), for each operator. Spearman correlation coefficient (R), between estimated Iscan phase and Iscan phase relative to chronological age, was good with values of 0.758 (CI: 0.664-0.828) and 0.717 (CI: 0.611-0.798) for operator 1 and operator 2, respectively. The perfect agreement, between Iscan phase related to chronological age and Iscan phase estimated by both operators, was found for phases fewer than 5. Intra-observer agreement was highest for both operators with kappa value of 0.73 for operator 1 and 0.71 for operator 2. The estimation of the observers fell within one phase from the ideal and there was minimal disparity. A good accuracy between operator 1 and operator 2 was found (κ=0.747, p=0.057). In order to improve the results, we have pooled ages in five new phases. The correlation, between new age groups and Iscan phase estimated by both operators, was moderate. We conclude that Iscan method can be applicable in Tunisian population with a good correlation for age ranges under 39years.

Multidisciplinary approach to fatal dog attacks: a forensic case study.

Dog-bite-related injuries and fatalities are increasing in incidence and represent an important public health concern, as dogs are more and more becoming an integral part of human social life. We report the case of a 27-year-old woman who was found dead in her home. Her body was discovered lying face down in a large pool of partially desiccated blood with signs of having been dragged. Site examination revealed the presence of severe injuries on the face, neck and head, which were then traced back to the dog she owned. Death was attributed to exsanguinations due to a neck blood vessel's laceration with fracture of the fifth cervical vertebra. This was uncommon because the dog bites injured the vertebral artery only without any lacerations of the carotid artery. Confirming that the injuries are dog-bite related was based on a multidisciplinary approach including histological findings, odontological examination of bite marks and DNA analysis.