HISTO-MORPHOLOGY OF AGE OF CONTUSIONS: AN AUTOPSY STUDY

Abstract

Background: During forensic evaluation the determination of age of contusions play a very important role. Age of contusions is normally determined based on their colour. Different authors have different interpretations of age of contusions based on colour.

Objective: The aim of the present study is to have a first hand information regarding the colour changes occurring in contusions with the passage of time, in our population and also to compare the aging process of contusions in our population with the standard data available.

Methods: Contusions were classified into small, medium and large. Both naked eye examination of colour of contusions and microscopic examination of contusions were done. Perl’s staining was also done to confirm the presence of pigments.

Results: 65 male and 15 female patients were included in the study. Majority of the cases the contusions were due to road traffic accidents. It was observed that in contusions of 24 hrs duration it was red in colour, followed by blue colour for two to three days. Contusions of four to six days were bluish black coloured and green in colour by seventh day. Microscopic examination revealed the presence of RBC in injuries less than 24 hrs duration. Lymphocytes and polymorphs were prominent in third and fourth day of injury. Perl’s stain was positive from the fifth day onwards.

Conclusion: The observations of colour tone of injury and histopathological findings including special staining techniques like perl’s stain can help the forensic pathologist to a certain extent in dating the age of medium sized contusion in moderately nourished adult subjects during the initial phases of injury.