A medico-legal autopsy reveals a bruise on the thigh that is greenish in colour. The estimated age of the bruise is:
- A Less than 24 hours
- B About 2 days
- C About 5 to 6 days ✓
- D About 10 to 14 days
Correct answer: C. About 5 to 6 days
Explanation
Bruise colour changes follow haemoglobin breakdown: red to blue-purple in the first 1 to 2 days, greenish between roughly 4 and 7 days due to biliverdin formation, yellow around 7 to 10 days from bilirubin, then fading with brownish haemosiderin by 2 weeks. Greenish discolouration therefore places the injury near the end of the first week, not within the first two days.
Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 35th ed.
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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.