Table 2 Histological changes in sweat glands, sebaceous glands and hair follicles with time of death.
From: Histological changes in human skin 32 days after death and the potential forensic significance
PMI | Sweat glan | Sebaceous gland | Hair follicle |
|---|---|---|---|
0–24 h | 24-h vacuoles began to appear in the cytoplasm | No obvious change | No obvious change |
36 h | Interstitial swelling occurs; the sweat gland epithelial cells become smaller | No obvious change | No obvious change |
48 h | Interstitial swelling occurs; the sweat gland epithelial cells become smaller | No obvious change | No obvious change |
60 h | The gland tube becomes smaller, the interstitial is swollen, and the focal cytoplasm has vacuoles | No obvious change | No obvious change |
72 h | The nucleus is swollen and the cytoplasm has vacuoles | No obvious change | No obvious change |
84 h | The cavity in the centre of some sweat glands disappears, the basement membrane of the sweat gland is locally swollen, and the epithelial cells are focally separated from the basement membrane | No obvious change | Occasionally, under high magnification, the cells are swollen, the hair follicles are dissolved at the roots, and the inner and outer layers of the hair follicles are separated (longitudinal section) |
96 h | Epithelial cell disorder, a small amount of nuclear pyknosis, nuclear fragmentation, nuclear lysis; cell and basement membrane detachment | The sebaceous cell nucleus is irregular, and the cytoplasm begins to show flocculation changes | Hair follicle cells visible, nuclear pyknosis, nuclear fragmentation, nuclear dissolution |
6 d | Epithelial cells have more nuclear pyknosis, nuclear fragmentation, nuclear lysis, and unclear cell boundaries | The sebaceous cell nucleus is dissolved, and the cytoplasm is flocculated | The gap of the hair follicle cells is widened, and the remaining changes are the same as above |
8 d | Epithelial cells have more nuclear pyknosis, nuclear fragmentation, nuclear lysis, and unclear cell boundaries | The sebaceous cell nucleus is dissolved, and the cytoplasm is flocculated | The gap of the hair follicle cells is widened, and the remaining changes are the same as above |
10 d | The cell hierarchy is severely disorganized, the structure of the sweat glands can still be distinguished, no normal epithelial cells, solid shrinking of the nuclei, nuclei are broken up, karyolysis | Sebaceous cell nucleus disappears | The number of hair follicle cells is reduced, and the remaining changes are the same as above |
12 d | The cell hierarchy is severely disorganized, the structure of sweat glands can still be distinguished, no normal epithelial cells, shrunken solid nuclei, nuclei are broken up, karyolysis | Sebaceous cell nucleus disappears | The number of hair follicle cells are further reduced, showing more nuclear pyknosis, nuclear fragmentation, and nuclear dissolution |
16 d | Residual sweat gland structure | Most of the sebocytes and basal cells are dissolved, leaving a reddish floc | Most of the hair follicle cells dissolve and disappear, leaving a small amount of nuclear pyknosis, nuclear fragmentation |
20 d | Residual sweat gland structure | Most of the sebocytes and basal cells are dissolved, leaving a reddish floc | Only a few cells present, blurred hair follicle outline |
24 d | Residual sweat gland structure | Sebocytes and basal cells are completely dissolved, only the sebaceous gland outline | No hair follicle structure |
28 d | Residual sweat gland structure | No sebaceous gland structure | No hair follicle structure |
32 d | No sweat gland structure | No sebaceous gland structure | No hair follicle structure |
