Post-mortem chemical excitability of the iris should not be used for forensic death time diagnosis
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Post-mortem chemical excitability of the iris should not be used for forensic death time diagnosis. / Koehler, Katja; Sehner, Susanne; Riemer, Martin; Gehl, Axel; Raupach, Tobias; Anders, Sven.
In: INT J LEGAL MED, Vol. 132, No. 6, 11.2018, p. 1693-1697.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Post-mortem chemical excitability of the iris should not be used for forensic death time diagnosis
AU - Koehler, Katja
AU - Sehner, Susanne
AU - Riemer, Martin
AU - Gehl, Axel
AU - Raupach, Tobias
AU - Anders, Sven
PY - 2018/11
Y1 - 2018/11
N2 - Post-mortem chemical excitability of the iris is one of the non-temperature-based methods in forensic diagnosis of the time since death. Although several authors reported on their findings, using different measurement methods, currently used time limits are based on a single dissertation which has recently been doubted to be applicable for forensic purpose. We investigated changes in pupil-iris ratio after application of acetylcholine (n = 79) or tropicamide (n = 58) and in controls at upper and lower time limits that are suggested in the current literature, using a digital photography-based measurement method with excellent reliability. We observed "positive," "negative," and "paradox" reactions in both intervention and control conditions at all investigated post-mortem time points, suggesting spontaneous changes in pupil size to be causative for the finding. According to our observations, post-mortem chemical excitability of the iris should not be used in forensic death time estimation, as results may cause false conclusions regarding the correct time point of death and might therefore be strongly misleading.
AB - Post-mortem chemical excitability of the iris is one of the non-temperature-based methods in forensic diagnosis of the time since death. Although several authors reported on their findings, using different measurement methods, currently used time limits are based on a single dissertation which has recently been doubted to be applicable for forensic purpose. We investigated changes in pupil-iris ratio after application of acetylcholine (n = 79) or tropicamide (n = 58) and in controls at upper and lower time limits that are suggested in the current literature, using a digital photography-based measurement method with excellent reliability. We observed "positive," "negative," and "paradox" reactions in both intervention and control conditions at all investigated post-mortem time points, suggesting spontaneous changes in pupil size to be causative for the finding. According to our observations, post-mortem chemical excitability of the iris should not be used in forensic death time estimation, as results may cause false conclusions regarding the correct time point of death and might therefore be strongly misleading.
KW - Acetylcholine
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Case-Control Studies
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Injections
KW - Iris
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Miosis
KW - Muscarinic Antagonists
KW - Mydriasis
KW - Photography
KW - Postmortem Changes
KW - Tropicamide
KW - Vasodilator Agents
KW - Young Adult
KW - Journal Article
U2 - 10.1007/s00414-018-1846-0
DO - 10.1007/s00414-018-1846-0
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 29666999
VL - 132
SP - 1693
EP - 1697
JO - INT J LEGAL MED
JF - INT J LEGAL MED
SN - 0937-9827
IS - 6
ER -
