Triticeal Cartilage and Its Importance in Forensic Medicine: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

The characterization of fractures of the laryngeal structures is of great importance in the evidence of airway trauma. Faced with a case suggestive of asphyxia due to cervical constriction, a detailed analysis of the larynx is performed at autopsy. However, there are anatomical variations that resemble fractures, and may lead to the suspicion of a pathological lesion, altering the course of the investigation. The most prevalent of these variations is the triticeous cartilage. This paper aims to report an autopsy case in which triticeous cartilage was identified and discuss how its presence was a limiting factor in the conclusion of the medical-legal expertise report. Adequate knowledge of anatomy in its stages of development and possible laryngeal variations by coroners is essential, avoiding irreversible consequences in the legal field. This has unequivocal value in cases of necropsies of cadavers in an advanced state of putrefaction, in which there is impairment in the macro and microscopic analysis of the tissues. A detailed analysis of the body will be a determining factor in providing robust data for the procedural conclusion.