Morgue / Mortuary / Autopsy

When a body is found after a fire, the main question is “Was the person alive when the fire started?” The answer is often hidden in the respiratory tract. During an autopsy, the larynx and trachea are opened to see if there is soot or combustion products inside. If soot particles are found on the mucous membrane and in the lumen, it means the deceased was breathing during the fire, and carbon monoxide and smoke entered the lungs. This is an important sign that death occurred after the fire began.

The body of a man with HIV. At autopsy, the lungs are literally corroded by tuberculosis. With HIV infection, immunity is severely reduced, so the body loses its ability to contain the spread of mycobacteria. As a result, tuberculosis progresses particularly aggressively, spreading rapidly throughout the body and affecting not only the lungs but also the liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system. Death occurs due to respiratory failure and a total infectious process.

Oral melanoma is a rare but extremely aggressive malignant tumor that arises from melanocytes in the mucous membrane. It most often manifests as a rapidly growing dark lesion with irregular edges and a tendency to ulcerate. This type of tumor is characterized by rapid local tissue destruction, early metastasis, and an unfavorable prognosis. The diagnosis is often made at an advanced stage, when treatment is significantly more difficult.

A surveyor who was carrying out measurements at a construction site during the expansion of a roadway was killed when he was run over by a truck moving in reverse. The driver didn’t notice him, and the multi‑ton vehicle ran over the man.

In a unique and extremely rare case, a man committed suicide by pushing a handkerchief deep into his airway until it became completely obstructed. A second handkerchief was found in his stomach.

Car accidents often result in severe injuries. If the impact is severe and the person isn't wearing a seatbelt, the abdominal wall may give way, and internal organs can literally fall out of the abdomen through torn tissue. Muscles and skin are torn, and the intestines and other organs are exposed. The situation is critical, requiring emergency surgery and intensive care; otherwise, the chances of survival are virtually nonexistent.

Sirenomelia, or "mermaid syndrome," is a rare congenital anomaly in which the lower limbs fuse to form a single tail-like structure. These children are typically born with severe defects of their internal organs, particularly the urinary and digestive systems. In this case, the child died immediately after birth because the developmental abnormalities were incompatible with life. This condition is extremely rare.

An autopsy of the neck muscles and soft tissues is always performed if there is a suspicion of asphyxia or neck trauma, such as strangulation, compression, or injuries from sharp or blunt objects. Even if there are no visible external injuries, a layered dissection can reveal hidden hemorrhages and lacerations deep within the tissue. Such findings often provide clues to the cause of death: the neck may appear normal externally, yet internal hemorrhages indicate strangulation or forced assault.

Cyclopia is a rare and dramatic developmental defect in which a child develops only one eye socket, located in the center of the forehead. This occurs due to a malfunction in the earliest stages of embryonic development: the future brain does not separate into two hemispheres, which also disrupts eye development. Typically, these children also lack other vital structures; for example, the nose either fails to develop at all or is fused with the upper lip. This pathology is incompatible with life, and the child dies within the first hours or even minutes after birth.

The patient suffered from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a chronic disease in which fat accumulates in the liver, inflammation develops, and fibrosis progresses.

Lahrche spots are an absolute sign of death. They form as the cornea dries out while the eyes are open and develop 5-6 hours after death. They are especially clearly visible when the eyelids are parted.

A young woman died in a fall from a height. She fell from the top floor of her home and landed directly on a metal fence. One of the fence bars pierced her skull. Rescuers had to saw off part of the structure and transport the body along with the fence, as it was impossible to retrieve it otherwise.

This is what the scalping process looks like—a step often necessary for skull restoration after injuries, surgeries, or autopsies. Behind this frightening sight, which may seem uninitiated, lies not a desire to shock, but a specific goal: to restore the person's face to its normal appearance for farewell, so that their family can see them in the most calm and dignified state possible.