Paltauf's Spots
Definition: Paltauf's spots are large, pale bluish-red subpleural hemorrhages seen on the surface of the lungs in drowning.
Characteristics
- Subpleural hemorrhages
- Usually pale red or bluish-red
- Round or irregular in shape
- Commonly found on lung surfaces and interlobar fissures
Mechanism
- Drowning
- Overdistension of alveoli
- Rupture of alveolar septa
- Subpleural hemorrhages
- Paltauf's spots
Clinical
Medicolegal importance: considered a supportive finding in drowning; not absolutely diagnostic; more commonly seen in fresh-water drowning.