Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Wischnewski spots and hypothermia: sensitive, specific, or serendipitous?

  • Commentary
  • Published:
Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  1. Turk EE. Hypothermia. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2010;6:106–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Madea B, Tsokos M, Preuβ J. Death due to hypothermia. Morphological findings, their pathogenesis and diagnostic value. In: Tsokos M, editor. Forensic pathology reviews, vol. 5. Totowa: Humana Press; 2008. p. 3–21.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Lim C, Duflou J. Hypothermia fatalaties in a temperate climate: Sydney, Australia. Pathology. 2008;41:46–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Preuβ J, Dettmeyer R, Lignitz E, Madea B. Fatty degeneration in renal tubule epithelium in accidental hypothermia victims. Forensic Sci Int. 2004;141:131–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhou C, Byard RW. Armanni-Ebstein phenomenon and hypothermia. Forensic Sci Int. 2011;206:e82–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Byard RW, Zhou C. Erosive gastritis, Armanni-Ebstein phenomenon and diabetic ketoacidosis. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2010;6:304–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Tsokos M, Rothschild MA, Madea B, Riβe M, Sperhake JP. Histological and immunohistochemical study of Wischnewsky spots in fatal hypothermia. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2006;27:70–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ehrlich E. Wischnewsky’s spots. A new sign of death from hypothermia. A preliminary report by the District Medical Officer, S. M. Wischnewski, Administrative District of Tscheboksary, Russia. (The translated text of the original Russian article from 1895). In: Oehmichen M, editor. Hypothermia, clinical pathomorphological and forensic features. Res Leg Med. 2004;31:205–10.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Preuβ J, Thierauf A, Dettmeyer R, Madea B. Wischnewsy’s spots in an ectopic stomach. Forensic Sci Int. 2007;169:220–2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Wolf DA, Aronson JF, Rajaraman S, Veasey SP. Wischnewski ulcers and acute pancreatitis in two hospitalized patients with cirrhosis, portal vein thrombosis and hypothermia. J Forensic Sci. 1999;44:1082–5.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Birchmeyer MS, Mitchell EK. Wischnewski revisited. The diagnostic value of gastric mucosal ulcers in hypothermic deaths. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1989;10:28–30.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hirvonen J, Elfving R. Histamine and serotonin in the gastric erosions of rats dead from exposure to cold: a histochemical and quantitative study. Z Rechtsmedizin. 1974;74:273–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Dettmeyer RB. Hypothermia Ch 8 In: Forensic histopathology Berlin: Springer; 2011. pp. 65–171.

  14. Takada M, Kusano I, Yamamoto H, Shiraishi T, Yatani R, Haba K. Wischnewsky’s gastric lesions in accidental hypothermia. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1991;12:300–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Hirvonen J. Necropsy findings in fatal hypothermia cases. Forensic Sci. 1976;8:155–64.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Vincent GP, Paré WP, Prenatt JED. Aggression, body temperature and stress ulcer. Physiol Behav. 1984;32:265–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Landeira-Fernandez J. Analysis of the cold-water restraint procedure in gastric ulceration and body temperature. Physiol Behav. 2004;82:827–33.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kiang-Ulrich M, Horvath SM. Age-related differences in response to acute cold challenge (−10 °C) in male F344 rats. Exp Gerontol. 1985;20:201–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Adelaide Medical School, Frome Road, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    Fiona Bright, Calle Winskog & Roger W. Byard

Authors
  1. Fiona Bright
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Calle Winskog
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Roger W. Byard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roger W. Byard.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bright, F., Winskog, C. & Byard, R.W. Wischnewski spots and hypothermia: sensitive, specific, or serendipitous?. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 9, 88–90 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-012-9342-1

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-012-9342-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation