Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology
Published in: Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology 2/2016

01-06-2016 | Commentary

How useful are ultraviolet, infrared, and narrow band light sources for enhancing occult bruises in cases of assault?

Authors: Kelly Olds, Roger W. Byard, Calle Winskog, Neil E. I. Langlois

Published in: Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology | Issue 2/2016

Login to get access

Excerpt

Bruises result from the application of blunt forces that cause tearing of blood vessels within the dermis causing leakage of blood into the surrounding tissues [1]. Thus, a bruise can be identified by the presence of erythrocytes in the tissue adjacent to blood vessels. Bruising is often noted in cases of violence including child abuse, and is documented in up to 65 % of sexual assaults [2‐4]. These injuries serve as evidence of trauma that can be extremely important in a forensic context. However, bruises may not always be visible to the naked eye due to factors such as skin color and depth of injury [5, 6]. Therefore, enhancing their detection may improve forensic assessments. …
Literature
1.
Langlois NE. The science behind the quest to determine the age of bruises—a review of the English language literature. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2007;3:241–51.CrossRefPubMed
2.
3.
Kaczor K, Pierce MC, Makoroff K, Corey TS. Bruising and physical child abuse. Clin Pediatr Emerg Med. 2006;7:153–60.CrossRef
4.
McGregor MJ, Du Mont J, Myhr TL. Sexual assault forensic medical examination: is evidence related to successful prosecution? Ann Emerg Med. 2002;39:639–47.CrossRefPubMed
5.
6.
7.
Dawson TL. Beyond the visible: ultraviolet and infrared radiation. Rev Prog Color Relat Top. 2005;35:31–41.CrossRef
8.
Randeberg LL, Skallerud B, Langlois NEI, Haugen OA, Svaasand LO. The optics of bruising. In: Welch AJ, van Gemert MJC, editors. Optical-thermal response of laser-irradiated tissue. 2nd ed. Berlin: Springer; 2001. p. 825–58.
9.
10.
Gajinov Z, Matić M, Đuran V. Optical properties of the human skin. Serb J Dermatol Venerol. 2010;2:131–6.
11.
Alfano RR, Yang Y. Stokes shift emission spectroscopy of human tissue and key biomolecules. IEEE J Sel Top Quantum Electron. 2003;9:148–53.CrossRef
12.
Golden GS. Use of an alternative light source illumination in bite mark photography. J Forensic Sci. 1994;39:815–23.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Holbrook DS, Jackson MC. Use of an alternative light source to assess strangulation victims. J Forensic Nurs. 2013;9:140–5.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Wright FD, Golden GS. The use of full spectrum digital photography for evidence collection and preservation in cases involving forensic odontology. Forensic Sci Int. 2010;201:59–67.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Lee W, Khoo B. Forensic light sources for detection of biological evidences in crime scene investigation: a review. Malays J Forensic Sci. 2010;1:17–28.
16.
Barsley RE, West MH, Fair JA. Forensic photography: ultraviolet imaging of wounds on skin. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1990;11:300–8.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Lynnerup N, Hjalgrim H, Eriksen B. Routine use of ultraviolet light in medicolegal examinations to evaluate stains and skin trauma. Med Sci Law. 1995;35:165–8.PubMed
18.
Vogeley E, Pierce MC, Bertocci G. Experience with wood lamp illumination and digital photography in the documentation of bruises on human skin. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2002;156:265–8.CrossRefPubMed
19.
West M, Barsley RE, Frair J, Stewart W. Ultraviolet radiation and its role in wound pattern documentation. J Forensic Sci. 1992;37:1466–79.PubMed
20.
Bachem A, Reed CI. The penetration of light through human skin. Am J Physiol. 1931;97:86–91.
21.
Zharov VP, Ferguson S, Eidt JF, Howard PC, Fink LM, Waner M. Infrared imaging of subcutaneous veins. Laser Surg Med. 2004;34:56–61.CrossRef
22.
Bernstein M, Nichols G, Blair J. The use of black and white infrared photography for recording blunt force injury. Clin Anat. 2013;26:339–46.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Baker HC, Marsh N, Quinones I. Photography of faded or concealed bruises on human skin. JFI. 2013;63:103.
24.
Rowan P, Hill M, Gresham G, Goodall E, Moore T. The use of infrared aided photography in identification of sites of bruises after evidence of the bruise is absent to the naked eye. J Forensic Leg Med. 2010;17:293–7.CrossRefPubMed
25.
26.
Littel, K. A national protocol for sexual assault medical forensic examinations. Washington, D.C: U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. 2004. NCJ 206554.
27.
Limmen RM, Ceelen M, Reijnders UJ, Joris Stomp S, Keijzer KC, Das K. Enhancing the visibility of injuries with narrow-banded beams of light within the visible light spectrum. J Forensic Sci. 2013;58:518–22.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Lombardi M, Canter J, Patrick PA, Altman R. Is fluorescence under an alternate light source sufficient to accurately diagnose subclinical bruising? J Forensic Sci. 2015;60:444–9.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
How useful are ultraviolet, infrared, and narrow band light sources for enhancing occult bruises in cases of assault?
Authors
Kelly Olds
Roger W. Byard
Calle Winskog
Neil E. I. Langlois
Publication date
01-06-2016
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology / Issue 2/2016
Print ISSN: 1547-769X
Electronic ISSN: 1556-2891
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-016-9756-2

Other articles of this Issue 2/2016

Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology 2/2016 Go to the issue

Letter to the Editor

Post-mortem Takotsubo cardiomyopathy diagnosis: the challenge is open!

Images in Forensics

Sudden death following endomyocardial biopsy of cardiac metastasis from malignant melanoma

Case Report

Fatal rhabdomyolysis after torture by reverse hanging

Letter to the Editor

Manner of death associated with autoerotic practice

Lessons from the Museum

Into the wax: forensic and anthropological analysis of human hairs in Merovingian and Carolingian royal seals (France)

Original Article

Hyoid bone fusion and bone density across the lifespan: prediction of age and sex