Question:

During an autopsy of a 35-year-old female, bruises are noted below the right angle of jaw with scratches over the upper border and grouped bruises on the left side of neck below thyroid cartilage, with additional bruises over shoulder blade, back of trunk and hip crests. What is the most likely cause of death?

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Manual strangulation with finger bruises and nail marks is called throttling.
Updated On: Aug 27, 2026
  • Throttling
  • Garroting
  • Mugging
  • Ligature strangulation
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Concept: Throttling means manual strangulation by hands. It commonly produces finger pad bruises and nail scratch marks on the neck.

Step 1:
Identify neck findings.
Bruises and scratches around the neck suggest manual pressure by fingers and nails.

Step 2:
Differentiate from ligature strangulation.
Ligature strangulation produces a ligature mark. Here, grouped bruises and scratches are more suggestive of manual strangulation.

Step 3:
Choose cause of death.
Therefore, the most likely cause is: \[ \text{Throttling} \]
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