Histopathological Assessment of Autopsied Salivary Gland Tissue to Estimate the Post-Mortem Interval: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Tertiary Care Centre

Chandan Samantaray; Dr. Dilip Kumar Mallick; Ashis Kumar Sukla

doi:10.51168/2f0v8615

Autori

Chandan Samantaray Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic medicine and Toxicology (FM&T), Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital Balangir, Odisha , India (samantaraychandan0@gmail.com)
Dr. Dilip Kumar Mallick Assistant Professor, Department forensic medicine and Toxicology (FM&T), Shree Jagannath Medical college and Hospital, Puri, Odisha, India (drdilipku4u@gmail.com)
Ashis Kumar Sukla Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (F. M&T), Saheed Rendo Majhi Medical College, Bhawanipatna, Odisha, India (drashiskumarsukla@gmail.com)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/2f0v8615

Cuvinte cheie:

Post-mortem interval, salivary gland, autopsy, histopathology, autolysis, forensic medicine, time since death

Rezumat

Background: Estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI) remains challenging because conventional methods are influenced by environmental and biological factors. Histopathological examination may provide a useful adjunct by demonstrating progressive post-mortem tissue changes.

Aim: To assess histopathological changes in autopsied submandibular salivary gland tissue and evaluate their association with PMI.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 100 medico-legal autopsy cases at a tertiary care centre from May 2025 to August 2026. Submandibular salivary gland tissue was collected, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, processed routinely, and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Histopathological changes were graded semi-quantitatively and correlated with PMI using appropriate statistical tests.

Results: Of the 100 cases, 72 (72%) were male. The most frequent PMI category was 13–24 hours (32%), followed by 25–48 hours (24%). The mean composite histopathological degeneration score increased from 3.1 ± 1.2 in cases with PMI ≤6 hours to 15.6 ± 2.0 in cases with PMI >48 hours. Differences across PMI categories were statistically significant (Kruskal–Wallis H = 78.62, p < 0.001). The composite degeneration score demonstrated a strong positive correlation with PMI (Spearman’s ρ = 0.86, p < 0.001). Individual histopathological parameters also showed significant positive correlations with PMI (ρ = 0.74–0.84, all p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Histopathological examination of submandibular salivary gland tissue demonstrated progressive degeneration associated with increasing PMI and may serve as a useful adjunct to conventional forensic assessment.

Recommendation: Multicentre studies with standardised tissue handling and validated scoring systems are recommended before routine application in individual PMI estimation.

Biografii autori

Chandan Samantaray, Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic medicine and Toxicology (FM&T), Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital Balangir, Odisha , India (samantaraychandan0@gmail.com)

is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital, Balangir, Odisha, India. His professional interests include forensic medicine, medico-legal autopsy practice, and forensic investigation.
Dr. Dilip Kumar Mallick, Assistant Professor, Department forensic medicine and Toxicology (FM&T), Shree Jagannath Medical college and Hospital, Puri, Odisha, India (drdilipku4u@gmail.com)

is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Shree Jagannath Medical College and Hospital, Puri, Odisha, India. His professional interests include forensic medicine, medico-legal investigations, and post-mortem examination.
Ashis Kumar Sukla, Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (F. M&T), Saheed Rendo Majhi Medical College, Bhawanipatna, Odisha, India (drashiskumarsukla@gmail.com)

is an Associate Professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Saheed Rendo Majhi Medical College, Bhawanipatna, Odisha, India. His professional interests include forensic medicine, forensic pathology, and medico-legal research.

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