Autopsy Findings in Strangulation || External & Internal Appearance

Описание: #fmt #strangulation #asphyxia

Autopsy Findings of Strangulation
External Autopsy Findings

The face will appear puffy, congested, and edematous.

The eyes will be prominent, open, bulgy, suffused with scleral hemorrhages.

Conjunctiva shows congestion and petechial hemorrhages. If the strangulation was more violent, then subconjunctival hemorrhage can also be seen.

Petechial hemorrhage can be seen in the eyelids, face, and forehead.

Sphincters may be relaxed with the voiding of urine, feces, or semen. Signs of asphyxia will be very prominent.

The ligature mark over the neck will be very prominent at the sides and front of the neck, well-grooved and defined. If the ligature is twisted multiple times then the marks may be multiple.

At the area where the knot was made, a wider area of contusion can be seen.

The marks might appear to be oblique if the victim has been dragged by the cord or if the force was from behind and upward.

The impression will be identical to the breadth of the ligature used. If the material used was wider, then the impression will also be wide and superficial. But if the material is narrow, it will leave a deeper impression and might appear like a cheese-cutter phenomenon.

Decomposition does not damage these marks.

The subcutaneous hemorrhage concerning the mark may be found.  

Internal Autopsy FIndings

The area which was compressed by the ligature mark will show evidence of hemorrhages.

The neck muscles may show hematoma or even lacerations.

During the autopsy, the neck structures should be examined at the end after examining the cranial cavity, chest, and abdomen as the neck will be relatively bloodless as the blood will be drained out from the vessels.

Extravasations or lacerations can be seen on the carotid sheath.

The base of the tongue may show deep lingual hemorrhages.

The thyroid region will show subcapsular and interstitial hemorrhage.

In some cases, the superior horns of the thyroid will be fractured. If excessive force is applied then the cartilage of the larynx or tracheal rings, thyroid lamina, or cricoid cartilage will be fractured.

Fracture of the hyoid bone is seen mainly in cases of throttling. 

Contusions, scratch marks, abrasions are found mostly in case of manual strangulations.