THE CURRENT STATE OF DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF VITAL AND POSTMORTEM BURNS: A LITERATURE REVIEW

This literature review analyzes modern approaches to the differential diagnosis of vital (antemortem) and postmortem burns. In forensic medical practice, determining whether burn injuries occurred during life or after death is of great importance, as it plays a decisive role in establishing the cause and mechanism of death. The article discusses the diagnostic significance of macroscopic findings, histological changes, biochemical and immunohisto­chemical markers, as well as molecular biological methods. Furthermore, scientific data reported by various research­ers are comparatively analyzed, and the challenges encountered in distinguishing vital from postmortem burns are discussed along with possible solutions. The results of the literature review may contribute to improving the effec­tiveness of forensic examinations aimed at determining the timing and characteristics of burn injuries.