title: [The use of the stereomicroscopy in the forensic medicine practice].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In everyday medico-legal practice the situations occur when it is necessary to magnify something and bring it up to the level of magnifying glass and closer to the eye of the examiner, and this way to determine the character of wounds, the way and angle of the attack, vicinity of the instrument of assault and where necessary also to determine the option of other person being present and causing the injury mentioned above. One of the options which enables the forensic pathologist to evaluate the case is the stereomicroscopic examination. It can be done at the place of the autopsy being performed (in vivo) and also in a laboratory (in vitro) after taking samples.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the work is to present methodically quite simple, for time, space and finances not too demanding a method, the results of which is possible to apply in medico-legal practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The work provides the inside of the cases selected by the author in which the stereomicroscopy has been used as one of the examination methods. The clothing of the victim was examined where the victim suffered thoracic injury caused by gunshot in one case, and the skin and parietal bone in the second case of gunshot injury of the head. Furthermore the appearance of stabbing wounds to the skin was investigated with the identification of angles, of the residue of the paint of a motor vehicle on the clothing of a female pedestrian; and the plant seeds obtained from the crime scene which were found on the body of the victim namely in the head wounds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By further investigations into these cases other options were discovered as to the next more detailed examinations of the cases and the confirmation of the diagnosis. There is a certain value in the photo documentation which was made with every case.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stereomicroscopic examination is a suitable method by means of which it is possible to follow all the morphological findings which the forensic pathologist has to deal with in his work. It significantly broadens the knowledge spectre and the substance and the meaning of the autopsy as such, i. e. it supports the process of determination of the cause of death and the circumstances of the death. It is a simple method which has a great potential to become one of the major investigation methods. The author is the first to present the results of using of the stereomicroscopy in our conditions. This method is not even often used abroad.
authors.affiliation: Súdnolekárske pracovisko Uradu pre dohl'ad nad zdravotnou starostlivost'ou, Bratislava, Slovenská republika. deni.valent@gmail.com
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valent
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology*; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000473:pathology*