A Study of Presence of Fluid in Paranasal Sinuses (Frontal, Maxillary and Sphenoid) in Cases of Death due to Drowning in Comparison with Other Causes of Death Subjected to Autopsy at Tirunelveli Medical College

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of death due to drowning by conducting post-mortem examination is still a challenging task for the forensic experts. Some authors in their book, articles mentioned that there is presence of fluid in paranasal sinuses in cases of death due to drowning. The analysis of their finding showed that there may be a strong association with drowning and presence of fluid in paranasal sinus. This study is undertaken to understand the prevalence of presence of fluid in paranasal sinuses in cases of death due to drowning and death due to other causes. AIM OF THE STUDY: The study is to find out the presence and prevalence of fluid in paranasal sinuses in cases of death due to drowning subjected to autopsy at Tirunelveli Medical College. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of my study are, 1. To minimise the difficulty in diagnosing death due to drowning in the dead bodies subjected to post-mortem examination. 2. To find out whether fluid is present in paranasal sinuses in cases of death due to drowning. 3. To find out whether fluid is present in paranasal sinuses in cases of death due to other causes. 4. To find out the prevalence of presence of fluid in paranasal sinuses in cases of death due to drowning and death due to other causes. 5. To help the forensic experts to conclude cause of death in cases of death due to drowning by examining for the presence of fluid in paranasal sinuses of the victims recovered from water. METHODOLOGY: For conducting this study, 100 cases were selected from dead bodies subjected to medico legal autopsy at Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Mortuary, Tirunelveli Medical College, Tirunelveli. Of them, 50 cases were with a history, circumstances, scene of recovery and post-mortem findings which are suggestive of death due to drowning. 50 cases were persons dead due to other causes of death. The paranasal sinuses are opened in all these cases and looked for the presence of fluid in paranasal sinuses. RESULTS: Of the 50 persons who are dead due to other causes, none of them showed positive for this finding. Out of 50 drowned victims who showed positivity, total number of cases showed positive in frontal sinus are 19, total number cases showed positive in maxillary sinus are 30 and total number of cases showed positive in sphenoid sinus are 44. 38% of them showed positive in frontal sinus, 60% of them showed positive maxillary sinus and 88%of them showed positive in sphenoid sinus. CONCLUSION: After the completion of my study it was evident that, there is presence of fluid in paranasal sinuses in cases of death due to drowning and absence of fluid in other causes of death, in the cases subjected to autopsy at Tirunelveli Medical College Mortuary, Tirunelveli during the study period. Among the drowned victims, sphenoid sinus showed positive for the presence of fluid in 88% of cases. From the results it is obvious that in all cases subjected to autopsy with the history of drowning and circumstantial facts corresponding to drowning we have to open the paranasal sinuses and look for presence of fluid in it. If there is fluid, we can conclude the cause of death as death due to drowning or if there is no fluid we have to consider other causes of death