Forensic Medicine Division, National Institute of Scientific Investigation, Korea. ykmoo@nisi.go.kr

Scientific Investigation team, Criminal Affairs Division, Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, Korea.

Department of Anatomy, Catholic Institute for Applied Anatomy, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Korea.

Department of Anatomy, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Korea.

Forensic medicine doctors in NISI(National Institute of Scientific Investigation) have traditionally used handed-down or old anatomical terms when they put into words the external findings of dead body. And we have had no any traditional rule or accepted guide relevant to the description about the surface anatomy, especially in terms of our practice of forensic pathology and medicine. Korean association of anatomists has taken the head to revise the old anatomy terms mostly occupied with the old Japanese and banal Chinese types, and we have come to see the Hangeul anatomy terms. These new Hangeul anatomy terms are now used by younger forensic pathologists, newcomer forensic doctors, and present medical students. Present more experienced and older pathologists, however, still use the old terms. It is, therefore, no wonder that investigators, policemen, attorneys, judges and even laymen coming in contact with our autopsy reports might be confused with the terms expressed in that official and publicly trusted documents. We felt that it is time for appropriate guideline about describing the surface anatomy to emerge with the viewpoint of forensic medicine. So we explained and depicted what to designate the region which an external finding lies in and how to use the surface anatomy terms.

Key words : surface anatomy, Hangeul anatomy terms, external findings, practice of forensic pathology and medicine