Technical note: A comparison between rehydrating solutions in the pretreatment of mummifed and corifed skin for forensic microscopic examination

Microscopic examination of mummifed or corifed skin may be of extreme importance for forensic purposes. However, standard histological samples in these cases are low-end, and preparation is burdened by several problems and so are diagnostic results: an improvement of these types of specimens is therefore advantageous. This study aims to identify the best performing rehydration solution among a fabric softener, a body lotion, and Sandison’s rehydrating solution. Samples of skin undergoing mummifcation or corifcation were collected from 25 corpses and each sample was divided into 4 fragments: one of these fragments was directly fxated in 4% formalin, one was previously treated with a tissue softener, another one was previously treated with a body lotion, and the last one was treated with Sandison’s solution. After 72 h, the pretreated samples were post-fxated in 4% formalin and then prepared for standard histological examination staining the histological slides with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’s trichrome. At the microscopic examination, samples directly fxated in formalin were characterized by usual marked structural alterations and altered stainability, typical of such dry tissues. Vice versa, those previously treated appeared to be better-preserved even though with diferent improvement levels: body lotion made a medium–low-grade restoration of the tissues, and fabric softener a high-grade restoration, while Sandison’s rehydrating solution produced an optimal grade restoration. Sandison’s rehydrating solution was confrmed to be the best rehydrating substance for mummifed and corifed skin. Fabric softener could be, however, considered a valid substitute, being productive of high-grade microscopic yield.