Non-Firearm-related Homicides at the Medical University of South Carolina, 2013-2018.

ABSTRACT: After high-profile events involving firearms, gun violence often becomes the center stage of public discourse with national media attention, overshadowing less common causes of homicidal deaths, such as sharp force injury, blunt trauma, and asphyxia. A retrospective analysis of all cases referred for medicolegal autopsy to the Medical and Forensic Autopsy Division of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina from 2013 to 2018 documented 793 deaths where the manner was classified as homicide. Of these, 18% (144) of the deaths were caused by non-firearm-inflicted injuries. Nonfirearm homicides were further categorized by method; demographic data including decedent age, race, and sex; and other variables such as incident site, decedent relationship status to the alleged perpetrator, number of other homicide fatalities associated with a homicide event, and the presence of drugs and alcohol in the decedents. Data accrued in this review were compared with national statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and to the overall Medical University of South Carolina firearm-related homicide decedent demographic statistics for this same period. Findings augment existing information available regarding non-gun-related homicides and may be valuable in contributing to the ongoing public and political debate regarding firearm and nonfirearm fatalities.

Microcrystalline Cellulose and Crospovidone Identified in Placentas With Vaginal Misoprostol Use.

Misoprostol is a prostaglandin analog commonly used to induce termination of pregnancy. Clandestine home terminations complicate forensic fetal autopsy when a history of misoprostol use is withheld and the gross and histologic findings are sparse, as is often the case. One hundred thirty-two placentas with no vaginal misoprostol use, low-dose misoprostol use, and high-dose misoprostol use were reviewed for the presence, volume, and locations of microcrystalline cellulose and crospovidone, common tablet fillers in misoprostol tablets. Microcrystalline cellulose and/or crospovidone was identified in 0 (0%) of 88 cases with no vaginal administration or low-dose vaginal administration and 29 (66%) of 44 placentas with high-dose vaginal administration. When identified, microcrystalline cellulose and/or crospovidone is most commonly present on the maternal surfaces of the extraplacental membranes. The presence of microcrystalline cellulose and/or crospovidone was associated with smaller placental weight (Mann-Whitney U, P = 0.019). These fillers have a reasonable sensitivity for high-dose vaginal tablet use and are very specific. Although they are not diagnostic for misoprostol administration, they provide a finding that may prompt additional investigation into the nature of the vaginal tablet administered and the circumstances surrounding birth.

Loperamide as a Potential Drug of Abuse and Misuse: Fatal Overdoses at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Loperamide is an over-the-counter, µ-opioid receptor agonist commonly used as an antidiarrheal agent. Loperamide was thought to have minimal abuse potential due to its low bioavailability and limited central nervous system activity; however, there have been increasing reports of loperamide misuse in supratherapeutic doses to achieve euphoria and/or avoid opioid withdrawal. A literature review suggests a rise in loperamide abuse was inevitable, with substantial increases in reported cases over the last decade. Five fatal cases of toxic medication use where loperamide was listed as a primary or contributory cause of death were identified at the Medical University of South Carolina. The characteristic autopsy demographics and findings are described, and the mechanisms of abuse and toxicity of loperamide are reviewed. Loperamide overdoses are a growing concern from both a forensic and clinical standpoint, and the frequency of reported cases will likely increase as awareness grows within the medical and toxicological communities.

Acute kidney injury and cardiac arrhythmia as the presenting features of widespread diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma, the most common adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma, is a proliferative neoplasm of enlarged B cells. Patients may be asymptomatic on presentation, but if present, symptoms often correlate with direct organ dysfunction resulting from the site of involvement. While the gastrointestinal system is the most common site of extranodal involvement, virtually any part of the body can be infiltrated by malignant lymphocytes. Here, we present an unusual case of cardiac and bilateral renal involvement by Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma in a 78-year-old male with a relatively unremarkable medical history. This combination of organ involvement and the resulting clinical symptoms are uncommonly described in the literature. The patient was treated for his symptoms prior to death, but the underlying cause that explained his presentation was not identified until performance of an autopsy. As such, this case demonstrates the utility of the medical autopsy, a gold standard in diagnostic medicine that can provide a variety of benefits in today's healthcare system.

Use of an Automated Nested Multiplex Respiratory Pathogen PCR Panel Postmortem in the Pediatric Forensic Setting.

Respiratory pathogens have been detected in forensic investigations using multiple techniques; however, no study has examined the use of automated, nested, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (ANM-PCR), commonly used in living patients, in the forensic setting. This retrospective study assessed the utility of ANM-PCR in detecting respiratory pathogens in the pediatric forensic setting. Respiratory samples from 35 cases were tested for up to 20 respiratory pathogens. 51.4% of these cases yielded a positive ANM-PCR result, 20% of which were considered the cause of or contributory to death. The most commonly detected pathogens were rhinovirus/enterovirus and respiratory syncytial virus, and these were the only pathogens determined to play a significant role in cause of death. The sampled sites and postmortem intervals tested did not affect the likelihood of a positive or negative test. ANM-PCR panels are effective, affordable, and rapid ancillary tools in evaluating cause of death in the forensic pediatric population.

Acute kidney injury and cardiac arrhythmia as the presenting features of widespread diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma, the most common adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma, is a proliferative neoplasm of enlarged B cells. Patients may be asymptomatic on presentation, but if present, symptoms often correlate with direct organ dysfunction resulting from the site of involvement. While the gastrointestinal system is the most common site of extranodal involvement, virtually any part of the body can be infiltrated by malignant lymphocytes. Here, we present an unusual case of cardiac and bilateral renal involvement by Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma in a 78-year-old male with a relatively unremarkable medical history. This combination of organ involvement and the resulting clinical symptoms are uncommonly described in the literature. The patient was treated for his symptoms prior to death, but the underlying cause that explained his presentation was not identified until performance of an autopsy. As such, this case demonstrates the utility of the medical autopsy, a gold standard in diagnostic medicine that can provide a variety of benefits in today's healthcare system.