PATHOMORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN DENTAL PULP UNDER HIGH- VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL EXPOSURE: A FORENSIC MEDICAL ASSESSMENT

The article examines the pathomorphological changes in the dental pulp caused by exposure to high-voltage electricity from the standpoint of forensic medical diagnostics and reconstruction of the injury mechanism. It is shown that the dental pulp, possessing high electrical conductivity, a well-developed vascular network, and an anatomically closed cavity, forms a specific complex of structural and subcellular alterations that are not characteristic of injuries of other origins. The passage of high-voltage electric current is accompanied by the formation of a local electric field, a pronounced electrothermal effect, and rapid intrapulpal heating, leading to protein denaturation, coagulation of the tissue matrix, and marked dehydration. Morphologically, a linearly oriented organization of coagulation zones is established, reflecting the direction of electric potential propagation within the pulp chamber. Microscopic examination reveals nuclear hyperchromasia and pyknosis, stromal vacuolization, fragmentation of collagen fibers, and destruction of nerve elements, which makes it possible to differentiate electrical injury from mechanical, ischemic, and inflammatory processes. An additional specific feature is the presence of microfocal areas of carbonization that arise when an electric discharge passes through the closed cavity of the tooth. Vascular changes are represented by pronounced spasm, minimal capillary ruptures, and the formation of a dense coagulated mass without massive hemorrhagic imbibition. The diagnostic value of quantitative assessment of the density of the denatured protein matrix using digital morphometry is demonstrated. It is established that the combination of the identified features is highly resistant to postmortem changes and allows the dental pulp to be used as a reliable morphological indicator of high-voltage electrical exposure in forensic medical practice. The obtained data expand the possibilities of objective forensic medical examination, increase the accuracy of conclusions regarding the nature and parameters of electrical exposure, and substantiate the prospects of using dental tissues in the analysis of complex combined injuries under conditions of pronounced postmortem transformation and fragmentation of soft tissues of the human body.