Thanatology: post-mortem clot versus thrombus: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Thanatology: post-mortem clot versus thrombus

Sample item

At autopsy of a woman who died suddenly, a clot in the right ventricle is soft, rubbery, glistening and moulded to the chamber, with a yellow upper layer over a dark red lower layer. It slips out easily without attaching to the endocardium. What does this indicate?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. A post-mortem clot

Post-mortem clots are smooth, glistening, rubbery and conform to the vessel, are not attached to the wall, and often show a yellow chicken-fat layer over a red currant-jelly layer when red cells settle. Ante-mortem thrombi are dry, friable, granular and laminated with lines of Zahn, and they adhere to the wall.

Option by option

  • A. A post-mortem clot (correct)

    Correct. Smooth, rubbery, non-adherent clots with layered colours are post-mortem.

  • B. An organised old thrombus

    Organised thrombi are firmly adherent and fibrous, not soft and rubbery.

  • C. An ante-mortem mural thrombus

    Ante-mortem thrombi are friable, dull, laminated and attached to the vessel wall.

  • D. A vegetation of infective endocarditis

    Vegetations are attached to the valve leaflets and are friable, not moulded clots.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is A, A post-mortem clot. Post-mortem clots are smooth, glistening, rubbery and conform to the vessel, are not attached to the wall, and often show a yellow chicken-fat layer over a red currant-jelly layer when red cells settle.

Why is "An organised old thrombus" not the answer?

Organised thrombi are firmly adherent and fibrous, not soft and rubbery.

Why is "An ante-mortem mural thrombus" not the answer?

Ante-mortem thrombi are friable, dull, laminated and attached to the vessel wall.

Why is "A vegetation of infective endocarditis" not the answer?

Vegetations are attached to the valve leaflets and are friable, not moulded clots.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Thanatology: post-mortem clot versus thrombus in Forensic Medicine. Ante-mortem thrombi are dry, friable, granular and laminated with lines of Zahn, and they adhere to the wall.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Thanatology: post-mortem clot versus thrombus?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.