Endoscopic Examination in Postmortem Examination

Korean J Leg Med 2017;41:94-99

1. Biomedical Research Institute, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea,

2. Forensic Medicine Division, National Forensic Service Gwangju Institute, Jangseong, Korea

E-mail: pdrdream@gmail.com

Autopsy is recognized as the gold standard for examining the body of the deceased. However postmortem inspection, which is a method for examining the body through non-invasive modalities, is very limited. Therefore, several methods have been studied to complement postmortem examination, and endoscopy emerged as a possible method. The authors of the present study performed endoscopic examination before autopsy, and the endoscopic findings were confirmed by subsequent autopsy. The endoscope was inserted mainly through the nostril due to the rigor mortis of the jaw joint. The pharynx, larynx, trachea, and esophagus were examined. Endoscopic examination was performed on a total of 35 cases. Endoscopy revealed froth in the airway (drowning cases), as well as the presence of thermal denaturation of structures in the airway and soot attached to the froth in the airway (fire death cases). However, relevant findings were not noted during external examination. In addition, agrochemical substances were detected in the airway (agrochemical poisoning death cases) during endoscopic examination. The study found that useful information can be obtained for investigating the death and estimating postmortem interval through endoscopic examination. It is thought that minimally invasive autopsy procedures, including endoscopy, cannot replace conventional autopsies, but can be used as adjuncts instead. In particular, minimally invasive autopsy procedures are thought to be useful for postmortem inspection. To this end, continued studies, as well as the development of equipment suited for postmortem examination, are needed. 

Key Words: Endoscopy; Autopsy; Minimally invasive surgical procedures