TY - JOUR PY - 1999// TI - Macromorphology and histology of intramuscular hemorrhages in cases of drowning JO - International journal of legal medicine A1 - Puschel, K. A1 - Schulz, F. A1 - Darrmann, I. A1 - Tsokos, M. SP - 101 EP - 106 VL - 112 IS - 2 N2 - In a prospective autopsy series of 39 cases of fatal drowning, the detailed dissection of the skeletal muscles of the neck, anterior/posterior trunk and the upper extremities in layers revealed intramuscular hemorrhages of different size and shape in 20 cases (51.3%). Light microscopy examination showed a premortal (vital/agonal) type of muscular alteration in 7 (50%) out of 14 macroscopical hemorrhage-positive cases. These hemorrhages and histological muscle alterations are attributed to agonal convulsions, hypercontraction and overexertion of the affected muscle groups. As long as no cutaneous or subcutaneous hematomas above the hemorrhages can be found, these autopsy findings (with special reference to histology) can serve as an additional criterion concerning the differentiation of drowning and another cause of death.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0937-9827 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -