Eponyms in forensic pathology

Hypothermia refers to a situation where there is a drop in body core temperature below 35 degrees C. It is a potentially fatal condition. In forensic medicine and pathology, cases of hypothermia often pose a special challenge to experts because of their complex nature, and the often absent or nonspecific nature of morphological findings. The scene of the incident may raise suspicions of a crime initially, due to phenomena such as terminal burrowing behavior and paradoxical undressing. An element of hypothermia often contributes to the cause of death in drug- and alcohol-related fatalities, in the homeless, in immersion deaths, in accidents and in cases of abuse or neglect, making the condition extremely relevant to forensic medical specialists. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the pathophysiological aspects of hypothermia and to illustrate different aspects relevant to forensic medical casework. Show more

Simon's hemorrhages are ventral intervertebral hemorrhages located beneath the anterior longitudinal ligament that have been described in cases of hanging and tend to appear in the lumbar region of the spine. There are also reports of Simon's hemorrhages in cases of blunt trauma, asphyxia, drowning, and putrefaction. In a prospective analysis of 2226 autopsies, we found Simon's hemorrhages in 65 out of 178 cases of hanging and also in 17 cases in a group of 350 controls with various causes of death. The relative frequency of occurrence of Simon's bleedings in cases of hanging was 37%. Simon's hemorrhages can be considered an objective vital finding, which is not absolutely specific for hanging. The absence of hemorrhages in intervertebral disks does not exclude death by hanging. This study suggests that Simon's bleedings in cases of hanging are more frequent in rather young individuals, in cases with free body suspension, and in individuals with minimal degenerative changes in the lumbosacral part of the spinal column. Show more