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Postmortem Tanning: An Unusual Postmortem Event

A variety of changes, many predictable and others more aberrant, occur during the postmortem interval. A number of these changes are largely influenced by various environmental conditions. We describe 3 cases of an unusual postmortem change associated with prolonged sunlight exposure in both frozen...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Weber, Brailyn, Roe, Susan, Sens, Mary Ann
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10430662/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37195083
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PAF.0000000000000832
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author Weber, Brailyn
Roe, Susan
Sens, Mary Ann
author_facet Weber, Brailyn
Roe, Susan
Sens, Mary Ann
author_sort Weber, Brailyn
collection PubMed
description A variety of changes, many predictable and others more aberrant, occur during the postmortem interval. A number of these changes are largely influenced by various environmental conditions. We describe 3 cases of an unusual postmortem change associated with prolonged sunlight exposure in both frozen and nonfrozen individuals. In each case, very well-delineated, dark tanning lines were present where clothing or another object blocked sunlight. This change appears distinct from mummification and scant literature references that describe a tanned skin transformation in cases associated with burials in high salt-containing bogs. Collectively, the cases highlight a novel postmortem phenomenon known as postmortem tanning. The potential mechanism(s) of this change is discussed within the context of known observations. Increased recognition and knowledge of postmortem tanning are exceedingly important in assessing how this change may assist in postmortem scene analysis.
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spelling pubmed-104306622023-08-17 Postmortem Tanning: An Unusual Postmortem Event Weber, Brailyn Roe, Susan Sens, Mary Ann Am J Forensic Med Pathol Case Reports A variety of changes, many predictable and others more aberrant, occur during the postmortem interval. A number of these changes are largely influenced by various environmental conditions. We describe 3 cases of an unusual postmortem change associated with prolonged sunlight exposure in both frozen and nonfrozen individuals. In each case, very well-delineated, dark tanning lines were present where clothing or another object blocked sunlight. This change appears distinct from mummification and scant literature references that describe a tanned skin transformation in cases associated with burials in high salt-containing bogs. Collectively, the cases highlight a novel postmortem phenomenon known as postmortem tanning. The potential mechanism(s) of this change is discussed within the context of known observations. Increased recognition and knowledge of postmortem tanning are exceedingly important in assessing how this change may assist in postmortem scene analysis. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2023-09 2023-05-15 /pmc/articles/PMC10430662/ /pubmed/37195083 http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PAF.0000000000000832 Text en Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) , where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.
spellingShingle Case Reports
Weber, Brailyn
Roe, Susan
Sens, Mary Ann
Postmortem Tanning: An Unusual Postmortem Event
title Postmortem Tanning: An Unusual Postmortem Event
title_full Postmortem Tanning: An Unusual Postmortem Event
title_fullStr Postmortem Tanning: An Unusual Postmortem Event
title_full_unstemmed Postmortem Tanning: An Unusual Postmortem Event
title_short Postmortem Tanning: An Unusual Postmortem Event
title_sort postmortem tanning: an unusual postmortem event
topic Case Reports
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10430662/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37195083
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PAF.0000000000000832
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