Postmortem histological freeze –thaw artifacts: a case report of a frozen infant and literature review

We present a case report involving an autopsy performed on an infant, who died of natural causes, after undergoing freezing and thawing. The objective of this study was to identify and discuss the histological artifacts observed in different tissues as a result of the freeze –thaw process. Histologically, the infant’s tissues exhibited the most common features described in the literature. Ice crystal artifacts, characterized by expansion of the extracellular space and tissue clefts, were found in the heart, brain, liver, lungs, and kidneys. On the contrary, adipose tissue was not affected, likely due to the scarcity of water. Freeze–thaw artifacts should be taken into account whether a body is known to have been frozen or to add further data if found already defrosted.
Source: Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology - Category: Forensic Medicine Source Type: research