title: The application of a variable-pressure scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray microanalyser to the diagnosis of electrocution: a case report.
abstract: We describe here a case of accidental electrocution. A 48-year-old male was found dead in his room. At autopsy, there was a current mark on the right thumb and big toe. Histological examination revealed that the skin wound had the characteristics of a current mark, including vacuolation and elongation of the cell nuclei. We could also identify titanium metallization on the skin surface of the current mark using a variable-pressure scanning electron microscope (VP-SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray microanalyser (EDX). The autopsy finding and the subsequent investigation support the conclusion that the cause of his death was electrocution. Our result shows that the VP-SEM with EDX is a useful tool for the forensic diagnosis of electrocution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan. kinochin@hyo-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Minori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishiguchi
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ouchi
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Utsumi
authors.forename: Nobuharu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.forename: Kouji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinomiya
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hishida
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home; D001344:Autopsy; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008875:Middle Aged