Legal Medicine 9 (2007) 48

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Letter to the Editor

Forensic mycology Reference

We appreciate the interest shown by Ishii et al. [1] in the [1] Ishii K, Hitosugi M, Kido M, Yaguchi T, Nishimura K, Hosoya T,
analysis of fungi detected on human cadavers. As men of Tokudome S. Analysis of fungi detected in human cadavers. Leg Med
science, we find this manuscript very intriguing. However, 2006;8:188–90.
we are prompted to write this letter to the Editor because
our concern is in regard to the forensic implications of fun- Ritesh G. Menezes a,*
gi detected on human cadavers. This issue remains unan- Animesh Jain b
swered in their brief communication [1]. Tanuj Kanchan c
Ishii et al. [1] conclude that more forensic cases are re- Francis N.P. Monteiro a
quired to determine whether fungi can be used as a forensic Shahnavaz Manipady c
tool or not. Under ‘discussion’ they highlight the impor- P.P. Jagadish Rao a
a
tance of Forensic Entomology in estimating postmortem Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology,
interval. We assume, therefore, that Ishii et al. [1] meant Kasturba Medical College,
the potential use of fungi as a forensic tool in estimating Manipal 576 104, India
b
time since death. They themselves could have made their Department of Community Medicine,
worthwhile contribution to Forensic Mycology by estimat- Kasturba Medical College,
ing postmortem interval, if at all crudely possible, on the Mangalore 575 001, India
c
basis of the fungi analysed in the two forensic cases report- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology,
ed by them. Had this been attempted and reported, their Kasturba Medical College,
brief communication would have been more convincing, Mangalore 575 001, India
meaningful and useful to the forensic fraternity. Therefore, E-mail address: mangalore971@yahoo.co.in (R. G.
we seek further discussions and clarifications by Ishii et al. Menezes).
[1] on fungi as a potential forensic tool.
Received 16 August 2006; accepted 14 September 2006


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doi:10.1016/j.legalmed.2006.09.003