Use of Immunohistochemical Examination for Diagnosing and Dating Skin Injuries in Forensic Medicine in Slovakia

Abstract

: In forensic practice, defining the vitality of injuries and the time elapsed from the moment they occurred until the victim’s death is one of the most difficult issues. Mechanical injuries are the most common injuries that a medical examiner encounters in everyday practice. However, the issue of the vitality and age of injuries is important even in the case of other types of violent deaths, e.g., in case of gunshot wounds, burns, hanging, strangulation, throttling, or drowning. Vital changes at the injury site can be assessed based on macroscopic, microscopic, and histochemical findings. Still, in recent years, the development of immunohistochemical techniques has made a significant contribution to more accurate diagnosis and dating of skin injuries. In forensic practice in Slovakia, these methods are not yet commonly performed, although they are an integral and necessary part of the forensic conclusions in foreign countries. The aim of this study was to determine the presence and expression of selected antigens, namely fibronectin and tenascin, in injured skin and adjacent tissues, to distinguish injuries sustained during life from those which aroused after death, to specify the time of harm, and also to determine the possible effects of postmortem changes (autolysis, putrefaction) on the detection and relevance of the results. The acquired findings confirmed the importance of using immunohistochemical methods in dating skin and soft tissue injuries and their application to routine forensic practice in Slovakia, with significant use in expertise activities for law enforcement authorities.