A body recovered after 10 days in a warm, humid Indian summer shows greenish discolouration starting at the right iliac fossa. The primary organism responsible for this initial surface change is:
- A Clostridium perfringens producing gas and haemolysins
- B Clostridium welchii acting on gut contents under the caecum ✓
- C Bacteroides fragilis acting on mesenteric lymphatics
- D E. coli migrating from portal circulation to skin
Explanation
Putrefaction begins in the right iliac fossa because the caecum is the most superficial part of the large intestine and contains the highest concentration of anaerobic flora including Clostridium welchii (now Clostridium perfringens); these bacteria produce hydrogen sulphide which reacts with haemoglobin to form sulphaemoglobin — creating the characteristic greenish discolouration on the overlying skin. The prominence is at the right iliac fossa in warm Indian climates within 24–36 hours in summer. Options A and C are essentially the same organism; Bacteroides and E. coli play secondary roles in putrefaction but are not the primary cause of the initial greenish surface change.
Reference: The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (Narayan Reddy), 34th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.