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Postmortem injuries inflicted by crawfish: Morphological and histological aspects
Forensic Science International 206 (2011) e49–e51
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Forensic Science International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/forsciint
Case Report
Postmortem injuries inflicted by crawfish: Morphological and histological aspects S. Duband a,b,*, F. Forest b, A. Clemenson b, M. Debout a, M. Pe´oc’h a,b a b
Department of Forensic Medicine, Saint-Etienne University Hospital Center, Bellevue Hospital, 42055 St-Etienne, Cedex 2, France Department of Pathology, Saint-Etienne University Hospital Center, North Hospital, 42055 St-Etienne, Cedex 2, France
A R T I C L E I N F O
A B S T R A C T
Article history: Received 12 May 2010 Received in revised form 21 July 2010 Accepted 4 August 2010 Available online 1 September 2010
A scavenging postmortem crawfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) is presented. A 60-year-old woman was found dead immersed in 2 m of water in an artificial lack near a dam. The divers, on discovering the body, observed numerous crawfish near the face, the abdomen and the hands of the cadaver that disappeared at their approach. Her face showed extensive hemorrhagic lesions of the eyelids, lips and neck, initially attributed by the police investigators to a possible criminal assault. On autopsy, the face injuries were identified as a postmortem defect by animal scavenging. We present the macro- and microscopic aspects of these postmortem changes in relation to animal predation. ß 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Animal predation Postmortem changes Crawfish Postmortem injury Drowning
1. Introduction If crustaceans postmortem damage is mentioned in forensic textbooks [1–3], the aspect of these injuries is not well described in any literature probably because of the difficulties in attributing the observed wounds to precise species. In fact, in freshwater, many often conjoining events, can lead to the postmortem damage of the body: putrefaction, predatory animals, injuries resulting from being dragged along the bottom, boat propellers. . . The following case report deals with postmortem crawfish predation leading to important loss of soft tissues mainly on the face and initially thought to be of possible criminal nature. 2. Case history A 60-year-old woman was found dead by police divers, immersed under 2 m of water, in an artificial lack near a dam. This discovery followed her husband’s statement of her disappearance 48 h earlier. Her car was found on the banks of the lake a few meters away from the place of immersion. When approaching the body, the divers noticed the presence of several crawfish near regions of the body that were uncovered by clothes (face, hands and abdomen). The corpse was laying face upwards at a depth of
* Corresponding author at: Department of Forensic Pathology, Saint-Etienne University Hospital Center, North Hospital, 42055 Saint-Etienne Cedex 2, France. Tel.: +33 0 4 77 12 05 23; fax: +33 0 04 77 12 09 16. E-mail address: [email protected] (S. Duband). 0379-0738/$ – see front matter ß 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.08.006
2 m in still water and showed hemorrhagic facial injuries of the lips and eyelids (Fig. 1A and B) and in cervical area. Because of these soft tissue alterations, an autopsy was ordered and performed to eliminate a possible criminal assault. 3. Autopsy findings The inspection revealed postmortem lividity of normal intensity and location corresponding to the position of the body when it was discovered. There was no sign of putrefaction on the external examination. The face was covered with soaked blood emanating from the lips and eyelids. After drying, the wounds around the eyelids (Fig. 2A) were roughly circular, centered on the eyes, of about 5 cm 4 cm with irregular outlines. The epidermal layer of skin was absent on quite a large surface of the injuries. The lips were more profoundly damaged with losses of both mucous and muscular tissues (Fig. 2B). In fact, the orbicularis oris muscle was partially altered, mainly on its superior half. The skin of the neck, the back of the hands and of the abdomen just above the belt had a similar aspect characterized by epidermal abrasion areas that were poorly hemorrhagic and sometimes difficult to see considering the maceration modifications. Visceral examination showed the presence of frothy fluid in the trachea and main bronchi. The lungs were markedly overinflated with costal impression on their anterior and lateral surfaces and showed subpleural hemorrhages. Furthermore, the weight of the lungs was elevated (714 g for the left and 822 g for the right). No other pathological finding was found to explain the death at the macroscopic examination.
[(Fig._1)TD$IG]
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S. Duband et al. / Forensic Science International 206 (2011) e49–e51
Fig. 1. Initial position of corpse resting on the back against bottom (A) with a crawfish in hairs (B).
The histological analysis of cutaneous lesions revealed superficial changes with epidermal excision areas without congestion, fibrin deposit or inflammatory reaction (Fig. 3). The pulmonary parenchyma showed typically ‘‘emphysema aquosum’’. Diatoms were identified in pulmonary, cerebral and kidney tissue samples and taxon was similar to those of freshwater samples obtained from the scene of the drowning. Toxicological analysis of blood and urine samples showed therapeutic levels of propranolol, lorazepam and paracetamol. Police investigators found two letters in the victim’s car mentioning suicidal tendencies addressed to her husband and children. 4. Discussion Summarizing the findings in the presented case, the female victim died from a drowning in freshwater in the context of suicide and became subject to postmortem animal predation by crawfish. [(Fig._2)TD$IG]The hemorrhagic aspect of extensive but superficial wounds
predominantly on the face primarily gave rise to suspicion of criminal assault. The postmortem nature of the injuries was obvious from the complete absence of vital reaction. The animals responsible were identified as crawfish on the basis of the divers’ observations. Austropotamobius pallipes, also called white-clawed crawfish is a vulnerable European crawfish found from Balkan Peninsula to Spain and the northern parts of Great Britain and Ireland [4]. It is a brown colored crustacean with pale-colored undersides to the claws that lives in rivers and streams about 1 m deep and which can grow around 10 cm long. Its rare distribution is in relation with its very sensitivity to many kinds of pollution and insecticides. The white-clawed crawfish tend to be nocturnal, emerging at night to feed on a broad diet consisting of detritus, animal matter and plants. It also occasionally indulges in cannibalism, particularly on individuals with soft cuticles following their moult. Crawfish are effective scavengers and consume fish carcasses or cadaver from humans, as in our case, or other animal species.
Fig. 2. Macroscopic aspect of injuries of the eyelids (A), lips (B) and right face of the neck (C).
[(Fig._3)TD$IG]
S. Duband et al. / Forensic Science International 206 (2011) e49–e51
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the carriage of the body underwater when considering their aspect, their topographical distribution and the absence of any current in the zone of discovery. The absence of signs of putrefaction shows that the damage imposed by the crawfish arises quickly after death. Thus, the decomposition is not the signal at the origin of the crawfish grouping on an immersed body. This observation underlines the interest of good collaboration between forensic examiners and investigators to determine the nature of certain unusual or rare injuries. Acknowledgment Sincere appreciation is expressed to Ann Louveton for her assistance in manuscript revision. References Fig. 3. Histological aspect of cervical wounds (HES, 100) showing localized region with epidermal lost without vital reaction in derma.
The injuries described in the present report resulting from claw action were localized in accessible areas, on an anterior exposed side of the body and on undressed regions. These cutaneous wounds cannot have been confused with those due to
[1] P. Saukko, B. Knight, Knight’s Forensic Pathology, third ed., Edward Arnold, London, 2004, pp. 73–76. [2] C.A. Catanese, Color Atlas of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, CRC Press, London, 2010, p. 144. [3] D. Dolinak, E. Matshes, E. Lew, Forensic Pathology Principles and Practice, Elsevier Academic Press, London, 2005, pp. 231–232. [4] N. Gouin, F. Grandjean, S. Pain, C. Souty-Grosset, J. Reynolds, Origin and colonization history of the white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes, in Ireland, Heredity 91 (2003) 70–77.
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Forensic Science International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/forsciint
Case Report
Postmortem injuries inflicted by crawfish: Morphological and histological aspects S. Duband a,b,*, F. Forest b, A. Clemenson b, M. Debout a, M. Pe´oc’h a,b a b
Department of Forensic Medicine, Saint-Etienne University Hospital Center, Bellevue Hospital, 42055 St-Etienne, Cedex 2, France Department of Pathology, Saint-Etienne University Hospital Center, North Hospital, 42055 St-Etienne, Cedex 2, France
A R T I C L E I N F O
A B S T R A C T
Article history: Received 12 May 2010 Received in revised form 21 July 2010 Accepted 4 August 2010 Available online 1 September 2010
A scavenging postmortem crawfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) is presented. A 60-year-old woman was found dead immersed in 2 m of water in an artificial lack near a dam. The divers, on discovering the body, observed numerous crawfish near the face, the abdomen and the hands of the cadaver that disappeared at their approach. Her face showed extensive hemorrhagic lesions of the eyelids, lips and neck, initially attributed by the police investigators to a possible criminal assault. On autopsy, the face injuries were identified as a postmortem defect by animal scavenging. We present the macro- and microscopic aspects of these postmortem changes in relation to animal predation. ß 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Animal predation Postmortem changes Crawfish Postmortem injury Drowning
1. Introduction If crustaceans postmortem damage is mentioned in forensic textbooks [1–3], the aspect of these injuries is not well described in any literature probably because of the difficulties in attributing the observed wounds to precise species. In fact, in freshwater, many often conjoining events, can lead to the postmortem damage of the body: putrefaction, predatory animals, injuries resulting from being dragged along the bottom, boat propellers. . . The following case report deals with postmortem crawfish predation leading to important loss of soft tissues mainly on the face and initially thought to be of possible criminal nature. 2. Case history A 60-year-old woman was found dead by police divers, immersed under 2 m of water, in an artificial lack near a dam. This discovery followed her husband’s statement of her disappearance 48 h earlier. Her car was found on the banks of the lake a few meters away from the place of immersion. When approaching the body, the divers noticed the presence of several crawfish near regions of the body that were uncovered by clothes (face, hands and abdomen). The corpse was laying face upwards at a depth of
* Corresponding author at: Department of Forensic Pathology, Saint-Etienne University Hospital Center, North Hospital, 42055 Saint-Etienne Cedex 2, France. Tel.: +33 0 4 77 12 05 23; fax: +33 0 04 77 12 09 16. E-mail address: [email protected] (S. Duband). 0379-0738/$ – see front matter ß 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.08.006
2 m in still water and showed hemorrhagic facial injuries of the lips and eyelids (Fig. 1A and B) and in cervical area. Because of these soft tissue alterations, an autopsy was ordered and performed to eliminate a possible criminal assault. 3. Autopsy findings The inspection revealed postmortem lividity of normal intensity and location corresponding to the position of the body when it was discovered. There was no sign of putrefaction on the external examination. The face was covered with soaked blood emanating from the lips and eyelids. After drying, the wounds around the eyelids (Fig. 2A) were roughly circular, centered on the eyes, of about 5 cm 4 cm with irregular outlines. The epidermal layer of skin was absent on quite a large surface of the injuries. The lips were more profoundly damaged with losses of both mucous and muscular tissues (Fig. 2B). In fact, the orbicularis oris muscle was partially altered, mainly on its superior half. The skin of the neck, the back of the hands and of the abdomen just above the belt had a similar aspect characterized by epidermal abrasion areas that were poorly hemorrhagic and sometimes difficult to see considering the maceration modifications. Visceral examination showed the presence of frothy fluid in the trachea and main bronchi. The lungs were markedly overinflated with costal impression on their anterior and lateral surfaces and showed subpleural hemorrhages. Furthermore, the weight of the lungs was elevated (714 g for the left and 822 g for the right). No other pathological finding was found to explain the death at the macroscopic examination.
[(Fig._1)TD$IG]
e50
S. Duband et al. / Forensic Science International 206 (2011) e49–e51
Fig. 1. Initial position of corpse resting on the back against bottom (A) with a crawfish in hairs (B).
The histological analysis of cutaneous lesions revealed superficial changes with epidermal excision areas without congestion, fibrin deposit or inflammatory reaction (Fig. 3). The pulmonary parenchyma showed typically ‘‘emphysema aquosum’’. Diatoms were identified in pulmonary, cerebral and kidney tissue samples and taxon was similar to those of freshwater samples obtained from the scene of the drowning. Toxicological analysis of blood and urine samples showed therapeutic levels of propranolol, lorazepam and paracetamol. Police investigators found two letters in the victim’s car mentioning suicidal tendencies addressed to her husband and children. 4. Discussion Summarizing the findings in the presented case, the female victim died from a drowning in freshwater in the context of suicide and became subject to postmortem animal predation by crawfish. [(Fig._2)TD$IG]The hemorrhagic aspect of extensive but superficial wounds
predominantly on the face primarily gave rise to suspicion of criminal assault. The postmortem nature of the injuries was obvious from the complete absence of vital reaction. The animals responsible were identified as crawfish on the basis of the divers’ observations. Austropotamobius pallipes, also called white-clawed crawfish is a vulnerable European crawfish found from Balkan Peninsula to Spain and the northern parts of Great Britain and Ireland [4]. It is a brown colored crustacean with pale-colored undersides to the claws that lives in rivers and streams about 1 m deep and which can grow around 10 cm long. Its rare distribution is in relation with its very sensitivity to many kinds of pollution and insecticides. The white-clawed crawfish tend to be nocturnal, emerging at night to feed on a broad diet consisting of detritus, animal matter and plants. It also occasionally indulges in cannibalism, particularly on individuals with soft cuticles following their moult. Crawfish are effective scavengers and consume fish carcasses or cadaver from humans, as in our case, or other animal species.
Fig. 2. Macroscopic aspect of injuries of the eyelids (A), lips (B) and right face of the neck (C).
[(Fig._3)TD$IG]
S. Duband et al. / Forensic Science International 206 (2011) e49–e51
e51
the carriage of the body underwater when considering their aspect, their topographical distribution and the absence of any current in the zone of discovery. The absence of signs of putrefaction shows that the damage imposed by the crawfish arises quickly after death. Thus, the decomposition is not the signal at the origin of the crawfish grouping on an immersed body. This observation underlines the interest of good collaboration between forensic examiners and investigators to determine the nature of certain unusual or rare injuries. Acknowledgment Sincere appreciation is expressed to Ann Louveton for her assistance in manuscript revision. References Fig. 3. Histological aspect of cervical wounds (HES, 100) showing localized region with epidermal lost without vital reaction in derma.
The injuries described in the present report resulting from claw action were localized in accessible areas, on an anterior exposed side of the body and on undressed regions. These cutaneous wounds cannot have been confused with those due to
[1] P. Saukko, B. Knight, Knight’s Forensic Pathology, third ed., Edward Arnold, London, 2004, pp. 73–76. [2] C.A. Catanese, Color Atlas of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, CRC Press, London, 2010, p. 144. [3] D. Dolinak, E. Matshes, E. Lew, Forensic Pathology Principles and Practice, Elsevier Academic Press, London, 2005, pp. 231–232. [4] N. Gouin, F. Grandjean, S. Pain, C. Souty-Grosset, J. Reynolds, Origin and colonization history of the white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes, in Ireland, Heredity 91 (2003) 70–77.