On the significance of posterior crico-arytenoid muscle hemorrhage.
Sixteen cases of gross fresh PCA muscle hemorrhages were collected from a series of 1500 medicolegal autopsies consecutively performed by the authors, an incidence of about 1%. These hemorrhages occurred in cases of deaths resulting from a variety of causes, including natural disease, physical agents and drugs. In none of the cases was there any evidence of external trauma to the neck. In two cases endotracheal intubation had been performed; however, the lack of injury to the tissues between the tube and the muscles probably rules this factor out. In over 50% of the cases, PCA muscle hemorrhages were found in association with "asphyxial" petechial hemorrhages. A consideration of our findings and a study of the literature points out that before considering any individual case of PCA muscle hemorrhages as resulting from direct trauma, additional evidence is needed.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D009333:Neck