1Senior Resident, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Dr BSA Hospital, New Delhi, India
2Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal University, India
3Professor & Head, Department of Pathology, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal, Manipal University, India
4Professor & Head, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal University, India
*Corresponding author Dr. Shankar M Bakkannavar Email: shankar.mb@manipal.edu, drvinay19@gmail.com
Electrical shock may result in death with variable degrees of damage to different organs. The final picture is determined by the type, voltage and intensity of the current. Except for cutaneous electrical and heat-related effects, electricity essentially leaves no trace. Though ventricular fibrillation is considered the main cause of death, no morphologic changes in heart has ever specifically been linked to electrocution. In few electrocution cases due to well moistened skin i.e. bathtub deaths, diagnosis becomes difficult as no burn marks are seen over the body. Changes in internal organs of the body can be of immense help in this regard.
We present a case of electrocution where deceased had external entry and exit wounds and changes in heart wall on histopathological examination like hypercontracted cells with square shaped nuclei and fragmentation of muscle fibres or myocardial fibre breakup (MFB) which probably is a feature of electrocution in this case.
Electrocution, Myocardial Fibre Breakup, Joule burn, square shaped nuclei
