Korean J Leg Med.  2003 May;27(1):88-91.

A Dead Body with Extremely Abnormal Posture

• Park EU
• Choi YC

Abstract

A 38-year-old female dead body was found in extremely abnormal posture on a chair at an inn. The posture of the dead body was in a state of hyperextension and rotation of the head. The postmortem investigation revealed no evidence of homicide or struggle. The external examination showed facial excoriations formed by pressure with wall. The judicial autopsy revealed liquid heart blood, a few petechia on epicardium and congestion of internal organs. Author supposed two ways of possibility that the dead body's posture. One is due to sudden loss of consciousness by acute heart failure. The other is due to slip of both hands from elbowrest of armchair to move his position. The possibility favors the latter to the former. Author reproduced similar posture with the dead body to explain the mechanism of the death. Conclusion was as follows: the death was due to respiratory insufficiency by phrenic nerve damage, compressional damage of cervical vertebrae and pain shock etc.

Keyword

Posture; Respiratory insufficiency; Cervical vertebrae; Pain; Shock

MeSH Terms

Adult
Autopsy
Cervical Vertebrae
Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)
Female
Hand
Head
Heart
Heart Failure
Homicide
Humans
Pericardium
Phrenic Nerve
Posture*
Respiratory Insufficiency
Shock
Unconsciousness
Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)