Marbling
Definition
Greenish-black branching pattern over superficial veins from haemoglobin plus H2S. 24 to 48 hour sign.
- Appearance
- Greenish-black branching pattern over veins
- Cause
- Haemoglobin reacting with hydrogen sulphide
- Timing
- 24 to 48 hours post-mortem
- Category
- Sign of putrefaction
Common questions
Why does marbling follow the pattern of superficial veins specifically?+
Putrefactive hydrogen sulphide gas diffuses through the tissue and reacts with haemoglobin retained in the superficial venous network, producing sulfhaemoglobin, which discolours the vessel walls and makes the venous branching pattern visible through the skin as a dark tree-like network.
How reliable is marbling as a standalone indicator of time since death?+
It gives only an approximate window because putrefaction rate depends heavily on ambient temperature, humidity, and body condition, so examiners use it alongside other decomposition signs such as bloating and skin slippage rather than as a precise standalone marker.
Related terms
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- Cadaveric Spasm
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- Decomposition
- Autolysis (intracellular enzymes) plus putrefaction (bacterial breakdown). Greenish discoloration starts over the right iliac fossa.
- Henssge Nomogram
- A graphical method using rectal temperature, ambient temperature and body weight to estimate PMI within a 95 percent confidence interval, with correction...
- Livor Mortis (Hypostasis)
- Bluish-purple settling of blood in dependent parts. Begins 30 minutes to 2 hours, fixed by 8 to 12 hours.
- Mummification
- Preservation of the body by desiccation rather than liquefaction, occurring when surface evaporation rate exceeds the rate of putrefaction gas production. Common...
- Post-Mortem Interval (PMI)
- The time elapsed between death and discovery or examination of remains. PMI estimation draws on multiple disciplines: soft tissue decomposition stage, insect...
- Putrefaction
- Decomposition of tissues by microorganisms, principally anaerobic bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract. Products include hydrogen sulphide, methane, ammonia, and putrescine, which cause...
- Rigor Mortis
- The post-mortem stiffening of muscle from ATP depletion and actin-myosin cross-linking. Develops over hours, peaks, and resolves with putrefaction.