Case report:

A case of burn was brought to the Deptt. of Forensic Medicine, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, Assam, for ML autopsy. The victim suffered approximately 98% burn. No injury detected except the burn injury on external examination. I used the “Fourth Autopsy Incision” which I developed in the year 2006, and found few contusions in the back of the chest which would have remained unnoticed in ‘I’ shaped, ‘Y’ shaped or modified ‘Y’ shaped incisions. Advantages of the “Fourth Autopsy Incision”:

• whole of the circumference of the neck, thorax and abdomen is visualised, so, better detection of the wounds.
• no or minimal seepage from the cavities.
• stitches can be kept hidden in the front of the neck, so, better acceptance for the relatives of the deceased.
• no separate incision is required for opening the spinal canal from the back.

Indications: in cases of death related to

• torture,
• custodial death
• burn
• road traffic accidents and any other cases, where there is history of injury just before death of the person.
  

Case of death with 98% burn

Same case with contusion in the deepper tissues

N.B. The incision is described in “Text Book of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology” by Dr. V.V. Pillay pp. 152-155.
Article on the incision technique is being published in the American journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology in Volume 30, Number 4, December 2009.