Livor Mortis and Algor Mortis MCQ — NEET PG Practice Question | NEETPGAI
Livor Mortis and Algor Mortis
medium
shield Forensic Medicine
During a post-mortem examination of a body found in a cold storage room maintained at 4°C, the examiner notes that body temperature has dropped to 18°C, 24 hours after death. Which of the following is the commonest factor that causes delayed algor mortis in such scenarios?
Algor mortis is the post-mortem cooling of the body. The commonest factor that causes delayed (slower) algor mortis in forensic practice is obesity and high subcutaneous fat, which acts as a thermal insulator reducing heat dissipation to the environment.
Factors Affecting Algor Mortis Rate
Table
Factor
Effect on Cooling
Mechanism
Obesity / High subcutaneous fat
DELAYS cooling (most common)
Fat is a poor thermal conductor; insulates the body core
Low ambient temperature
Accelerates cooling
Greater temperature gradient drives faster heat loss
High ambient temperature
Slows cooling
Reduced temperature gradient
Thin body habitus
Accelerates cooling
Less insulation
Sepsis/high pre-mortem fever
Accelerates cooling
Greater initial temperature difference
Wet clothing/immersion
Accelerates cooling
Evaporative and conductive heat loss
Thick/heavy clothing
Delays cooling
Insulation effect
High-YieldNEET PG
Among all factors, obesity (high subcutaneous fat) is the most commonly encountered cause of delayed algor mortis in forensic casework. Fat tissue has low thermal conductivity (0.2 W/m·K vs 0.6 W/m·K for muscle), making it an effective insulator that retards heat loss from the body core.
Note on the scenario: In a cold storage room at 4°C, the large temperature gradient (37°C body vs 4°C environment) would actually accelerate cooling, not delay it. The question asks for the commonest factor causing delayed algor mortis in general forensic practice — which is obesity/high subcutaneous fat, not the cold environment itself.
Temperature Drop Timeline (Normal Conditions)
First 12 hours: ~1–1.5°C per hour
After 12 hours: ~0.5–1°C per hour
Obese individuals: Rate may be reduced by 30–50% compared to lean individuals
Clinical Pearl
The Henssge nomogram incorporates body weight as a corrective factor precisely because obesity significantly delays algor mortis. A higher corrective factor is applied for obese bodies when estimating time since death. (Reference: Henssge C, Knight B — Forensic Medicine; also Modi's Medical Jurisprudence & Toxicology)
Mnemonic
COLD DELAYS — Clothing (thick), Obesity, Low humidity, Dry environment → all DELAY algor mortis; but Obesity is the most common factor encountered clinically.
Warning
Do not confuse low ambient temperature with delayed cooling — a cold environment actually increases the temperature gradient and drives faster heat loss, thereby accelerating algor mortis rather than delaying it.
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