Postmortem Changes of Female External Genitalia and Their Importance in Suspected Sexual Abuse.

Autor: Al-Saif DM; Center of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Ghirnatah, Dammam, 32245, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia., Al-Farayedhi MA; Center of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Ghirnatah, Dammam, 32245, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia., Al-Shamsi GA; Center of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Ghirnatah, Dammam, 32245, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia., Al-Bayat MI; Center of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Ghirnatah, Dammam, 32245, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia., Almadani OM; Center of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Ghirnatah, Dammam, 32245, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia., Kharoshah MA; Center of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Ghirnatah, Dammam, 32245, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of forensic sciences [J Forensic Sci] 2020 Sep; Vol. 65 (5), pp. 1574-1578. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Jun 01.
DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14462
Abstrakt: Examination of the female external genitalia to assess for sexual abuse is performed in living individuals, and the interpretation of the findings is based on evidence-based studies. However, in the deceased, no such studies are available, and postmortem changes could present as suspicious findings that can be mistaken for trauma. Patches of discoloration in the hymen were reported previously in one case as hypostasis (i.e., livor and lividity), and based on this finding, it was listed as a finding that is not associated with trauma. This was a retrospective study that was conducted in the Center of Forensic and Legal Medicine in Dammam, Saudi Arabia over a 4-year period. The study included 30 deceased women in whom photographic documentation of their external genitalia was assessed for postmortem changes. The postmortem interval ranged from less than 24 h to more than 100 days, and the ages of these deceased women were in the 20-40 year-old age group. In cases where the hymen, vagina, and/or fossa navicularis were clearly visible, none of these areas showed any hypostatic discoloration. A comparison between antemortem and postmortem appearance of the hymen in one case clearly showed the absence of hypostatic changes in the hymen. In conclusion, any discoloration of the external genitalia that is detected in a female decedent requires serious consideration.
(© 2020 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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