Injuries and wounds: autopsy findings in starvation: 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 · Injuries and wounds: autopsy findings in starvation

Sample item

A man dies after weeks of deliberate food deprivation. Which autopsy finding is characteristic?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Loss of body fat, brown atrophy of the heart, a distended gallbladder

In prolonged starvation the fat stores are used up and the organs shrink. The heart is small and brown from lipofuscin (brown atrophy), the stomach and bowel are empty and thin, and the gallbladder is often distended with bile. The picture helps to separate starvation from neglect with disease.

Option by option

  • A. Perforated gastric ulcers

    Gastric ulceration is not a feature of simple starvation.

  • B. Gross pulmonary oedema with a large fatty liver

    A large fatty liver with oedema suggests other states and not simple wasting from food deprivation.

  • C. A large fatty heart with ventricular hypertrophy

    Starvation shrinks organs and does not cause cardiac hypertrophy.

  • D. Loss of body fat, brown atrophy of the heart, a distended gallbladder (correct)

    Correct. Loss of fat with brown atrophy of the heart is typical.

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 D, Loss of body fat, brown atrophy of the heart, a distended gallbladder. In prolonged starvation the fat stores are used up and the organs shrink.

Why is "Perforated gastric ulcers" not the answer?

Gastric ulceration is not a feature of simple starvation.

Why is "Gross pulmonary oedema with a large fatty liver" not the answer?

A large fatty liver with oedema suggests other states and not simple wasting from food deprivation.

Why is "A large fatty heart with ventricular hypertrophy" not the answer?

Starvation shrinks organs and does not cause cardiac hypertrophy.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries and wounds: autopsy findings in starvation in Forensic Medicine. The heart is small and brown from lipofuscin (brown atrophy), the stomach and bowel are empty and thin, and the gallbladder is often distended with bile. The picture helps to separate starvation from neglect with disease.

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 Injuries and wounds: autopsy findings in starvation?

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.