Pulmonary giant cells and traumatic asphyxia

A morphometrical analysis was performed to elucidate the
significance of pulmonary polynuclear giant cells as a histological
sign of asphyxiation. A total of 13 cases of homicidal
strangulation of throttling, 8 cases of traumatic asphyxia due to
chest compression and 10 control cases (cause of death: severe head
injury, no signs of aspiration or other relevant pulmonary
alterations, smokers and non-smokers) were investigated. The number
of alveolar macrophages containing 1 or 2 nuclei and of polynuclear
giant cells per microscopic field (0.000025 cm2) was estimated and
a statistical evaluation was carried out. A considerable individual
variation was observed in all groups with a tendency to higher
numbers of cells in cases of smokers or advanced individual age.
However, no significant differences were detectable in the content
of alveolar macrophages and in particular of polynuclear giant
cells between the asphyxiated individuals and the controls. Since
polynuclear giant cells occurred in similar amounts in healthy,
functionally normal lungs of non-asphyxiated individuals, the
detection of such cells cannot be regarded as a reliable indicator
for asphyxiation.