Injuries & Mechanical Asphyxia · NEET PG Preparation Forensic Medicine
A dead body is recovered from a deep lake. Autopsy findings include fine, white, persistent foam (lather) around the nostrils and mouth, hyperinflate…
Practice question from Injuries & Mechanical Asphyxia (NEET PG Preparation Forensic Medicine), with the correct answer and a step-by-step solution.
hard · MCQ · Q-79B6DC
A dead body is recovered from a deep lake. Autopsy findings include fine, white, persistent foam (lather) around the nostrils and mouth, hyperinflated and soggy lungs that pit on pressure (emphysema aquosum), and water in the sphenoid sinus. Which finding is the most reliable pathological indicator of death by drowning in water?
- A.Paltauf's spots on the pleura
- B.Presence of diatoms in the femoral bone marrowCorrect answer
- C.Fluid in the middle ear cavity
- D.Full stomach containing large volumes of water
Solution
The recovery of diatoms (unicellular algae with silica cell walls) from closed vascular beds or dense bone marrow (like the femur) after acid digestion is considered the gold-standard forensic proof that the individual was alive and breathing when submerged, as circulation is required to transport diatoms from the lungs to systemic organs.
More from Injuries & Mechanical Asphyxia
- A 30-year-old man is brought to the emergency department following an assault with a heavy, blunt cylindrical pipe. Examination reveals a s…
- During the autopsy of a victim found hanging by a rope, the forensic expert notes a parchment-like, yellowish-brown, hard, translucent area…
- A 25-year-old construction worker falls from scaffolding and sustains a severe vehicular-like crush injury to his pelvis. At autopsy, exten…
- A 40-year-old man is brought dead after a violent struggle during which he was held down in a prone position with heavy weight applied to h…
Practise more Forensic Medicine
Sign up free for adaptive practice on this chapter, with instant feedback and hints on every question.
Start practising freeFree to start · No credit card needed