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Score 0 (fresh samples) |
Score 1 |
Score 2 |
Score 3 (unburied samples) |
| Dermis |
Dermis appeared in finely orientated fibres, the edges were very sharp and there were no lyses of collagen or adnexal structures. |
Dermis appeared in finely orientated fibres, and lyses of collagen and adnexal structures occurred occasionally. |
Dermis showed clear lyses of collagen and adnexal structures but was still recognisable as dermis. |
Dermis was only appearing in massive coagulating lyses of collagen and adnexal structures. |
| Fatty Tissue |
Fat tissue was sharply lined with smooth edges and clear nuclei. |
Fat tissue was occasionally not sharply lined or the chromatin pattern of the nucleus was obviously degenerated but without damage to the outer structure of the nucleus. |
Fat tissue was clearly showing signs of lyses, but the actual structure of the fatty tissue was easily recognisable. |
Fat tissue was almost completely degenerated, appearing only as ghostly contours. |
| Muscle |
Muscle was sharply edged; there was no sign of fragmentation and no degeneration of the interstitial fibres. |
Muscle was occasionally less sharply edged and there were minor signs of fragmentation. |
Muscle showed clear fragmentation but not all fibres were damaged and/or the structure of the muscle was still recognisable. |
Muscle showed massive lyses and as such the muscle structure was now only recognisable by its colour, not by its histological appearance. |
| Blood vessels |
Blood vessels were clearly consisting of several layers of muscle and collagen and the endothelium was undamaged. |
Blood vessels were clearly consisting of several layers of muscle and collagen, however with minor signs of lyses and damage. |
Blood vessel showed clear lyses, but the actual structure was still recognisable. |
Blood vessels appear only as contours. No histological structures were recognisable. |
| Nerves |
Nerves were sharply edged, there were no signs of lyses and the axon structure was undamaged. |
Nerves were occasionally less sharply edged, there were minor signs of lyses and the axon structure showed minor deterioration. |
Nerves were still easily recognisable but the internal structure showed clear signs of lyses. |
Nerves appeared in ghostly contours and no separate capsule or axon structure was identified. |
