Frequency and Intensity of Fat Particles in Multiple Organs in Lethal Fat Embolism

The case of fat embolism is frequently encountered in forensic practice. Fat embolus enters into the bloodstream and blocks the circulation of multiple organs, and leads to death in severe cases. However, the relationship between the degree of fat embolism and its lethality remains unclear under microscopic examination in forensic pathology. In addition, the main lesion site of fat embolism is controversial. In this study, we retrospectively examined cases of death by fat embolism, and quantified the degree of fat emboli in the lung, cerebrum and kidney with Sudan Ⅲ stain. Our quantified data further refined the examination of fat embolism in forensic pathology by comparing it with previous morphological descriptions. Our results also indicate that pulmonary fat embolism is the most common in forensic examinations in the majority of the death cases of fat embolism within 48 hours after injury. However, cerebral fat embolism may play an important role in the death case of multiple organs over 48 hours after injury.