Transcript Post Mortem Changes Jaroslava Dušková Inst. Pathol. ,1st Med. Faculty,

General Pathology – Seminary 1a
Post Mortem Changes
Jaroslava Dušková
Inst. Pathol. ,1st Med. Faculty,
Charles Univ., Prague
http://www1.lf1.cuni.cz/~jdusk/
Death
irreversible arrest
of integrated
organism functions
Post Mortem Changes
 physical
: algor, pallor (paleness),
hypostasis, diffusion of
fluids & gases
 chemical (enzymatic): rigor, blood
coagulation, autolysis
 biological: putrefaction
Post Mortem Changes – physical -1

algor – the body temperature
levelled out
with the surroundings
Post Mortem Changes – physical -2

pallor (paleness)
circulation stop,
contraction of the vessels, esp.
arteries
Post Mortem Changes – physical -3

hypostasis
– gravitation effect
– cadaverous spots
Post Mortem Changes – physical -4

diffusion of fluids & gases
– maceration
pseudomelanosis
(Hb+ Hydrogen sulfid) verdohaemoglobin
Post Mortem Changes - chemical
(enzymatic) -1

rigor (stiffness, cadaverous rigidity)
consumption of macroergic
compounds (ATP)
Post Mortem Changes - chemical
(enzymatic) -2

blood coagulation – tissue
trombokinases, endothelium
autolysis
Post Mortem Changes - chemical
(enzymatic) -3
Autolysis
– disruption of membranes, lost
compartmentalization
Cell changes in autolysis:



loss of cytoplasm basophilia
cytoplasm swelling, vacuolisation
loss of nuclear stainability
(pyknosis, karyorrhexis, karyolysis)
Putrefaction & further
cadaverous decompositions
putrefactive bacteria
 insects
 worms etc.

Post Mortem Changes
- Meaning & Consequences

physical – important in medicojudical
practice eg. algor
time of death

chemical – interfering & limiting all
special methods

biological – limiting even the
macroscopy examination