Article
Medicine, Legal
Michael Duffy, Kate O'Connor, David Milne, Benjamin Ondruschka, Rexson Tse, Jack Garland
Summary: This article reports a fatal case of isolated neutrophilic atrial myocarditis affecting only the left atrium, leading to sudden death. The case highlights a potential blind spot for both routine postmortem imaging and examination.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, Legal
Carlo Moreschi, Ugo Da Broi, Rexson Tse, Jack Garland, Benjamin Ondruschka, Sirio Rossano Cividino, Michela Vello, Rino Gubiani
Summary: This review focuses on the diagnostic evaluations required to determine if a death involving a feed mixer was accidental, murder, or suicide. Detailed analysis of the death scene, mechanical characteristics of the machinery, and thorough postmortem and toxicological examinations are essential.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Sinead McCarthy, Michael Duffy, Jack Garland, Benjamin Ondruschka, Ugo Da Broi, Simon Stables, Rexson Tse
Summary: This study aimed to quantify the amount of pulmonary fluid loss from dissecting the lung at post-mortem. The results showed that the amount of pulmonary fluid loss may vary depending on the dissection method and weakly to moderately correlates with intact lung weight. However, the overall pulmonary fluid loss was considered clinically insignificant and not appreciable.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Rohan Ameratunga, See-Tarn Woon, Mary N. Sheppard, Jack Garland, Benjamin Ondruschka, Christopher X. Wong, Ralph A. H. Stewart, Michael Tatley, Simon R. Stables, Rexson D. Tse
Summary: This article describes a case of fatal fulminant necrotising myocarditis triggered by the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, highlighting the importance of recognizing this rare hypersensitivity reaction and emphasizing the greater benefits of vaccination compared to the risks of COVID-19 infection.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Hamish M. Aitken-Buck, Matthew Moore, Gillian A. Whalley, Larissa Lohner, Benjamin Ondruschka, Sean Coffey, Rexson D. Tse, Regis R. Lamberts
Summary: This study found that combining age, sex, and body dimensions with heart volume can improve the prediction of heart mass. Multivariable models incorporating these factors along with heart volume showed higher accuracy in predicting actual heart mass compared to models that only used age, sex, and body dimensions or heart volume alone.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Rexson Tse, Jack Garland, Sinead McCarthy, Benjamin Ondruschka, Emma N. Bardsley, Christopher X. Wong, Simon Stables, Julian F. R. Paton
Summary: This study assessed the inflammation of the left stellate ganglion in cadavers with sudden cardiac deaths compared to non-sudden cardiac deaths. It found a significantly higher proportion of inflammation in the left stellate ganglion in cases of sudden cardiac death, suggesting a potential trigger for sympathetic storms.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, Legal
Johann Zwirner, Rachel Kulakofsky, Antonia Fitzek, Ann Sophie Schroeder, Simone Bohnert, Heike Franke, Thomas Renne, Rexson Tse, Benjamin Ondruschka
Summary: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and its accurate diagnosis is challenging in cases where clear signs of head trauma are lacking. Post-mortem studies suggest that biomarkers could be used to provide objective evidence for cause of death, estimation of survival time, and time since death in TBI cases. However, current biomarkers have low specificity for TBI and limited information regarding survival time and time since death. Future research should explore accessible samples like urine and vitreous humor, combine established biomarkers, and utilize novel approaches such as metabolomics and mi-RNAs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Helen M. M. Waddell, Matthew K. Moore, Morgan A. Herbert-Olsen, Martin K. Stiles, Rexson D. Tse, Sean Coffey, Regis R. Lamberts, Hamish M. Aitken-Buck
Summary: In males, BMI and age were predictive of fat cell size in epicardial, paracardial, and appendix adipose tissues, while in females no predictors were associated with epicardial fat cell size. Epicardial and appendix fat cell sizes were associated with epicardial and visceral fat volumes, respectively, in males only, indicating sex differences in fat cell morphology.
Letter
Medicine, Legal
Rexson Tse
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Leo Lam, Rexson Tse, Patrick Gladding, Campbell Kyle
Summary: Macrotroponin is associated with multifactorial or indeterminate causes of troponin elevation in community patients. Better diagnostic performance was observed in patients without macrotroponin when repeat testing was conducted using different hs-cTnI assays. Participants with macrotroponin had better overall survival.
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Kelly L. Olds, Rexson Tse, Simon Stables, Andrew M. Baker, Kathryn Hird, Neil E. Langlois, Roger W. Byard
Summary: Child suicides in South Australia, Hennepin County, and Auckland from 2008 to 2017 were analyzed. The study found an increasing trend in child suicides in South Australia and Hennepin County, while Auckland showed a decreasing trend. Hanging was the most common method in all regions, while firearms were more commonly used in Hennepin County.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Medicine, Legal
Rexson Tse, Melissa Thompson, Issac Han, Alex Olumbe
Summary: We present a rare case of a ruptured atherosclerotic left subclavian artery with focal dissection leading to haemothorax. The autopsy findings showed a localised dissection and rupture of the left subclavian artery with minimal atherosclerosis in the aorta and major branches. This is the first reported case of focal atherosclerosis in the left subclavian artery compounded by hypertension causing focal dissection and rupture.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Isabella Thompson, Alex Olumbe, Rexson Tse, Melissa Thompson
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on drug and poison-related deaths, with an overall increase observed. However, the demographic and pattern of these deaths have not changed. Further research is needed to understand the variation and to implement targeted public health interventions.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Jack Garland, Melissa Thompson, Benjamin Ondruschka, Ugo Da Broi, Isabella Thompson, Alex Olumbe, Rexson Tse
Summary: Cardiac hypertrophy, associated with heart disease and sudden cardiac death, can be estimated by gross heart dimensions. This study compared postmortem computed tomography and postmortem examination in estimating heart weight and determining cardiac hypertrophy (>400 and >500 g). The results showed that postmortem computed tomography had smaller dimensions and lower accuracy in estimating heart weight compared to dissection. However, both methods were comparable in determining cardiac hypertrophy with high sensitivity and specificity, albeit with slightly varied characteristics.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Jack Garland, Melissa Thompson, Isabella Thompson, Alex Olumbe, Rexson Tse
Summary: There is no clear consensus on where to measure cardiac ventricular dimensions at postmortem examination to assess hypertrophy. Some suggest measuring at the mid-ventricular level, while others advocate for a set distance from the base of the heart. A study on twenty adult hearts found that ventricular dimensions were significantly higher when measured 20 mm from the base of the heart compared to the mid-ventricular level. Additionally, left ventricle diameter measured at 20 mm from the base of the heart showed a significant correlation with heart weight, suggesting it as a predictor for cardiac hypertrophy.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2023)
