ABPath Forensic Pathology flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Cause of death

The disease or injury that initiates the lethal sequence of events. It differs from the mechanism, such as arrhythmia, and from the manner of death.

Manner of death

A legal classification: natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined, or pending. It is assigned by the medical examiner or coroner, not derived from histology.

Vitreous potassium

A postmortem chemistry marker that rises after death and is used with body temperature, rigor, and decomposition to estimate the postmortem interval.

Postmortem redistribution

Movement of drugs from organs and the stomach into blood after death, which can falsely elevate concentrations. Femoral blood is preferred to reduce this effect.

STR profiling

Short tandem repeat analysis using PCR to generate a DNA profile. Match statistics are calculated from population allele frequencies under Hardy-Weinberg assumptions.

Mitochondrial DNA

Maternally inherited DNA present in high copy number, useful for degraded samples and hair shafts. Y-STR testing instead targets male lineage.

Coroner versus medical examiner

Coroners are often elected and may lack medical training; medical examiners are usually appointed physicians. Authority derives from statute in each jurisdiction.

Daubert standard

A test for admissibility of expert testimony considering testability, error rates, peer review, and general acceptance. Frye instead relies on general acceptance alone.

Atherosclerotic plaque rupture

Rupture of an atheromatous plaque with superimposed thrombosis causes most acute coronary deaths. Critical stenosis is typically greater than 75% luminal narrowing.

Coagulative necrosis timeline

After infarction, coagulative necrosis and wavy fibers appear at 6-12 hours, neutrophils at 1-3 days, granulation tissue at 1-2 weeks, and scar by about 8 weeks.

Pulmonary thromboembolism

Occlusion of pulmonary arteries by thrombus, usually from deep vein thrombosis. At autopsy, saddle or lobar emboli are documented and leg veins examined.

Fat embolism syndrome

A syndrome 24-72 hours after long-bone fracture with hypoxemia, petechiae, and fat globules in pulmonary capillaries. Marrow embolism may also occur.

Laceration versus incised wound

Lacerations from blunt force show tissue bridging and irregular edges. Incised wounds from sharp force are clean and longer than deep, without bridging.

Stab wound track

A sharp-force wound deeper than it is long. The track may exceed blade length with hilt marks, and the wound shape may reflect the blade cross-section.

Gunshot entrance wound

A circular defect with an abrasion collar, often with soot, tattooing, or a muzzle imprint at close range. Exit wounds are larger and everted without soot.

Hanging ligature mark

An inverted V mark high on the neck, typically from a suspension point. Manual strangulation instead causes horizontal marks, petechiae, and cartilage fracture.

Commotio cordis

Sudden death from blunt chest impact during a vulnerable cardiac cycle, without structural heart disease. It is a recognized cause in young athletes.

Amyloid angiopathy

Deposition of amyloid in cortical vessels, predisposing to lobar intracerebral hemorrhage in the elderly, unlike hypertensive hemorrhage in the basal ganglia.

Postmortem lividity

Dependent pooling of blood after death, which fixes over hours. Its distribution helps determine body position and whether the body was moved.

SIDS diagnosis

A diagnosis of exclusion requiring scene investigation, complete autopsy, and history review. Unsafe sleep conditions shift the classification away from SIDS.

Perimortem fracture

A bone fracture occurring around the time of death, showing sharp edges and no healing. Postmortem damage may differ in color and fracture characteristics.

Carboxyhemoglobin

Hemoglobin bound to carbon monoxide. Levels above 50% are often lethal, and soot in airways supports antemortem fire exposure, though CO can form postmortem.

Femoral blood sampling

Collection of postmortem blood from the femoral vein, preferred over cardiac blood to reduce postmortem redistribution and contamination from the stomach.

Cyanide toxicity

Poisoning causing bright red livor and a bitter-almond odor, with elevated blood cyanide. Fire victims may have combined cyanide and carbon monoxide exposure.

Dental identification

Identification using dental records, restorations, and radiographs. Bite mark comparison is limited and increasingly disfavored as evidence in court.

Pelvic sex estimation

Assessment of pelvic shape, subpubic angle, and sciatic notch to estimate sex. The pelvis is more reliable than the skull for this purpose.

Bloodstain impact spatter

Small droplets produced by force, with directionality inferred from stain shape. Cast-off patterns are linear and associated with a swinging weapon.

Gunshot residue

Particles containing lead, barium, and antimony deposited on hands and clothing after firing. Collection and interpretation require controlled sampling.

Chain of custody

Documentation of every transfer and storage of evidence. Breaks in the chain can reduce evidentiary weight or render evidence inadmissible.

Death certificate underlying cause

The initiating condition that began the lethal sequence, listed below the immediate cause. It is used for public health coding and statistics.

Morgue biosafety

Universal precautions, sharps handling, personal protective equipment, and ventilation for formalin and infectious aerosols. Tuberculosis and prions require specific precautions.

Mass fatality identification

Integration of antemortem records with postmortem findings using DNA, dental, fingerprint, and radiographic comparison under an incident command system.