What is petichiae?

Question

TV medical examiners and criminologists always note this as a sign of strangulation.

Answer 1

Petechiae are small red or purplish spots on any area of the body caused by a minor hemorrhage usually due to broken capillary blood vessels. Strangulation most commonly will cause damages in capillary blood vessels resulting to such minute reddish or purplish spots.

Generally, petechiae signifies presence of diseases or disorders such as in the cases of low platelet counts or thrombocytopenia , leukemia, dengue fever, congenital syphillis and many others.

Petechiae found on the face and conjunctiva (eyes) of a dead person signify death by asphyxiation. It is believed that an increased pressure in the veins of the head and damage due to low oxygenation to endothelial of blood vessels causes capillary damages resulting to PETECHIAE.

Answer 2

lani s is right about petechiae. But there are a few more things to be said, although not in the context of strangulation per se:

[1] The word is plural. It should be "What are petechiae?”

[2] Petechiae represent punctate (tiny) hemorrhages into the skin from blood leakage from capillaries. Therefore, they do not blanch (go pale when you press them). The same lesion, when the size of a pea or greater, are called purpura (singular purpurum). Purpura also do not blanch. This distinguishes them from dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) and birthmarks.

[3] Not related just to strangulation per se, but to what petechiae represent, and that is, leakage from capillaries from any cause. In strangulation, it is due to high pressure. They are also sometimes seen after violent coughing or vomiting, especially in the eyelids. We also see this when the legs swell up with fluid (pedal edema, common in certain heart (CHF) and lung (COPD with cor pulmonale) problems, for the same reason - pressure in the legs from fluid in a contained compartment of limited size.

[4] But we also see petechiae when there is inflammation of the blood vessels, a condition called vasculitis, often associated with fever and immune or autoimmune conditions like drug reactions and lupus.

[5] Very importantly, they are also seen when the number of healthy platelets is very low or, paradoxically, very high. This represents a mixed bag and can be very serious. Blood infection (septicemia) can cause clotting in the blood stream and use up all of the platelets and clotting factors (DIC) leading to serious or fatal hemorrhage. Also, bone marrow malignancies like leukemia and multiple myeloma can do that, although we will usually see petechiae with their larger cousins purpura in those conditions. Viral infections can cause a condition abbreviated ITP with similar findings.

Answer 3

Small red spots all over the face of the victim. Caused by blood going to that area in an attempt to get to the brain.

Answer 4

Small ruptured blood vessels