Paltauf's Spots
Definition
Sub-pleural haemorrhagic patches on the lung surface, produced when the alveolar walls rupture under pressure during forced inhalation of water in drowning. Strong indicator of true drowning rather than post-mortem immersion.
- Location
- Sub-pleural lung surface
- Mechanism
- Alveolar wall rupture from forced water inhalation
- Significance
- Indicates true (vital) drowning
- Distinguishes from
- Post-mortem immersion
Common questions
Why can't Paltauf's spots alone confirm drowning as cause of death?+
They are a strong supporting sign but not exclusive to drowning; a full diagnosis of drowning still relies on scene circumstances, diatom testing, and exclusion of other causes of death, since no single autopsy finding is pathognomonic for drowning.
How do Paltauf's spots differ from ordinary petechial haemorrhages seen in asphyxia?+
Petechiae in general asphyxia arise from venous pressure changes in various tissues, while Paltauf's spots are specifically sub-pleural patches caused by the mechanical rupture of alveolar walls during the struggle to breathe underwater, tying them more directly to the drowning mechanism itself.
Related terms
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