Rupture of splenic artery aneurysm.

Three cases of death from splenic artery aneurysm rupture were encountered from 1988 to 1991 at the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office. In two cases, cocaine was detected in the blood and was believed to have precipitated the rupture. Toxicologic testing for cocaine should be performed in all cases of splenic artery aneurysm rupture and its presence should be interpreted properly as contributory rather than incidental to death.     

Hemopericardium following cerebral hemorrhage. Report of an autopsy case.

The simultaneous occurrence of cerebral hemorrhage and hemopericardium due to the rupture of a dissecting aneurysm has not been previously reported. We describe an autopsy case of a 45-year-old man with hypertension who died suddenly following both of these conditions. He had been treated for hypertension; the finding of arteriolar nephrosclerosis supported the existence of the disease. Because rupture of the aorta invariably causes a marked fall in blood pressure, the occurrence of cerebral hemorrhage following hemopericardium is highly unlikely. Thus, we presume that rupture of the aorta occurred after the cerebral hemorrhage.     

Sudden and unexpected death resulting from splenic artery aneurysm rupture: two case reports of pregnancy-related fatal rupture of splenic artery aneurysm

Rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm is a rare and usually catastrophic event, most commonly associated with pregnancy. In spite of increasingly common reliance on abdominal angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and computerized tomography during the past quarter century, clinicians uncommonly recognize any of the various splanchnic arterial aneurysms absent premonitory signs or symptoms. Accordingly, rupture of a visceral aneurysm, including splenic artery aneurysm, typically presents as sudden, unexpected obtundation or death. As a consequence, the initial recognition and diagnosis of splenic artery aneurysm rupture take place only at autopsy. This report presents two such cases of sudden death resulting from splenic artery aneurysm in a pregnant woman and a postpartum woman, respectively.     

Rupture of the spleen or splenic vessels (splenic emergency syndrome) in late pregnancy: a report of two autopsy cases

During the years 2004-2006, seven divers, who had deadly accidents, underwent post-mortem examination at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University of Munich. The cause of death in all divers was drowning with typical pathomorphological findings. This should be regarded as separated to the triggering reason for drowning. The trigger for accident was established in four of seven cases by technical analysis and police investigation. High risk-taking, lack of technical service, and deficiency of dive equipment care were main reasons for death. We present two of these cases which showed several problems occurring concurrently. Autopsy always is necessary to look for indices for application of force or to exclude competitive reasons for death.     

Fatal traumatic rupture of an aortic aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva: an autopsy case

This report describes an autopsy case of a rare type of aortic sinus of Valsalva aneurysm, which caused fatal rupture from a blunt chest impact. A 51-year-old male was hit in the chest with a fist, lost consciousness after about 15min and died after approximately 7h. The postmortem examination revealed a large saccular aneurysm of the right coronary sinus bulging on the right atrium, which had a full laceration causing pericardial hematoma (cardiac tamponade). A related chest wall injury was observed in the right outer mammary region. A rare type of bulging onto the right atrium and subsequent sclerosis of the right coronary artery appeared to have greatly contributed to the fatal rupture.     

Sudden, unexpected death due to splenic artery aneurysm rupture

Splenic artery aneurysms are an uncommon form of vascular disease that have a significant potential for rupture, resulting in life-threatening intraperitoneal hemorrhage. We describe the case of a 33-year-old man who died suddenly and unexpectedly due to the rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm. At medicolegal autopsy, 3000 mL of fluid blood were recovered from the peritoneal cavity. The source of bleeding was a sack-like aneurysm of the splenic artery, measuring 2 cm in diameter. Histologic examination of the splenic artery aneurysm revealed fibromuscular dysplasia. No atherosclerotic lesions or any inflammatory changes were apparent within the wall of the splenic artery. Portal hypertension and pancreatitis, previously described as important factors promoting splenic artery aneurysm formation, were excluded by autopsy and histology. From the forensic pathologist's viewpoint, this rare case underlines the importance of splenic artery aneurysm rupture as a relevant differential diagnosis of intraperitoneal hemorrhage and sudden death, respectively, since such cases may be misinterpreted as a result of blunt-force trauma.     

Sudden death in an infant caused by rupture of a basilar artery aneurysm.

Ruptured aneurysms of the cerebrovasculature in infancy and early childhood, except for "giant" aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations, are rare. Seizures, loss of consciousness, and apnea are the usual presenting signs in infancy; symptoms such as headache or visual disturbances and signs such as cranial nerve compression or meningeal irritation commonly found in older children or adults are absent in infants. However, the morphologic findings (i.e., subarachnoid and retinal hemorrhage, and occasionally subdural hemorrhage) may be mistaken for inflicted trauma, especially if the aneurysm is not identified. Sudden death caused by rupture of a cerebral aneurysm has not been previously described in an infant. This report outlines the investigation and autopsy findings in a 7-month-old infant who died unexpectedly as a result of rupture of a complex basilar artery aneurysm.     

Left paraduodenal hernia: an autopsy case

We present a case of a left paraduodenal hernia diagnosed at autopsy. A left paraduodenal hernia is an internal hernia of congenital origin due to the abnormal rotation of the midgut during embryonic development. Internal hernias are a rare cause of intestinal obstruction, with the paraduodenal being the most frequent. The clinical course can be asymptomatic, cause chronic or intermittent abdominal pain, or present with acute abdomen. The clinical entity is a diagnostic challenge, which is illustrated in the present case where there patient died during hospital admission. The case also emphasizes the difficulty in diagnosing the disease by plain abdominal radiography.     

急性安妥中毒尸检1例

安妥(Antu)属硫脲类杀鼠剂,其分子式为C11H10N2S,化学名α-萘硫脲或甲萘硫脲(α-Naphthyl-thiourea),1942年由Curt P.Richtert合成本品,1945年用于防治褐家鼠.1973年WHO专家委员会主张禁用安妥,国内尚未见安妥中毒的尸检报道.同济医科大学法医病理学教研室曾检验一例如下: 某男,22岁,自服大量安妥后出现呕吐,呕吐大量黄色胃内容物.次日上午10时被发现后送医院急救,患者烦躁不安、检查不合作、口唇及鼻腔周围有黄色血性物,颈软、瞳孔对光反射存在.肺呼吸音增强、心音快.病理反射阴性.裤上有大便.入院2小时后患者烦躁、神志不清,面色苍白、口唇紫绀、大小便失禁、吐黄色血性物,血压140/90mmHg,心律齐,呼吸急促,未闻及干湿性罗音.经洗胃、给氧、对症及抗感染等治疗,7.5小时后患者满肺湿性罗音,两眼瞳孔对光反射消失.12小时后血压降至90/70mmHg,约12.5小时血压已量不出,呈潮式呼吸,脉搏细弱,心跳弱而速,最终因呼吸心跳停止而死亡. 尸检见死者瞳孔直径0.5cm,口唇青紫,气管及支气管内多量白色泡沫状液体,两肺共重1450克,饱满,胸膜下少数点状出血,肺切面有多量泡沫状液体流出,轻度灶性肺气肿,镜下肺重度淤血水肿、部分肺泡腔内出血明显,有大量的肺透明膜形成(图1、图2),合并急性支气管肺炎.灶性肺气肿.胃内有约450克酱褐色液体,混有灰黑色粉末状物质及食物残渣,无特殊臭味,胃粘膜轻度充血,无明显腐蚀出血.十二指肠粘膜充血.脑淤血水肿.肝、肾水肿.心肌横纹尚清晰,心肌间质较增宽.肠壁粘膜下层水肿显著.膀胱内充满尿液,位于耻骨联合上12cm.胰无明显病变.病理诊断:肺重度淤血水肿、急性支气管肺炎;肝、肾、肠壁水肿;脑淤血水肿;膀胱内尿潴留.胃及胃内容物检出安妥成分.鉴定认为死者系口服安妥引起急性中毒,因重症肺水肿并发急性支气管肺炎而死亡. 讨论(1,2):安妥是中性化合物,市售商品为蓝灰色粉末,纯品为白色结晶,无臭,味苦,不溶于水,难溶于乙醇及醚,易溶于碱及有机溶剂(特别是丙酮),其溶液具有蓝色荧光.特别对家鼠有明显的选择性高效毒杀作用.对人毒性较低,故中毒案例极少,作为投毒他杀者罕见.安妥可经胃肠道、呼吸道吸收,吸收后主要分布在肺、肝、肾和神经系统,大部分由肾排出.安妥除对胃肠道粘膜有刺激作用外,主要由于损害毛细血管,促进毛细血管扩张和渗透性增加,引起肺水肿、胸膜炎、胸腔积液及肺出血,最终因呼吸困难、窒息而死亡;也可引起肝、肾脂肪变性及坏死.本例即因重度肺水肿而死亡.Round等1985年报道,用安妥腹腔内注射引起大鼠急性肺损伤,肺血管的反应性随急性安妥损伤增加而增强.反复安妥损伤可引起不可逆性肺动脉高压,从而导致右心室肥厚.也可引起肝肾变性坏死;此外它破坏胰腺β细胞,影响糖代谢,引起糖尿.安妥中毒致死的动物,常见重度肺水肿和多量胸水形成.狗或鼠还可有血糖显著升高,肝糖原含量降低,也可表现体温降低及血液浓缩等现象.因安妥对人中毒致死的报告不多,故其致死量各家意见不一,有报告成人口服致死量为4～10克,敏感者0.5克也可致死.小儿对安妥较第三较易引起中毒.大白鼠一次口服急性中毒LD50为6.25mg/kg,小白鼠为35mg/kg.     

急性安妥中毒尸检1例

安妥 (Ａｎｔｕ)属硫脲类杀鼠剂 ,其分子式为Ｃ11Ｈ10 Ｎ2 Ｓ ,化学名α -萘硫脲或甲萘硫脲 (α -Ｎａｐｈｔｈｙｌ -ｔｈｉｏｕｒｅａ) ,1942年由ＣｕｒｔＰ .Ｒｉｃｈｔｅｒｔ合成本品 ,1945年用于防治褐家鼠。 1973年ＷＨＯ专家委员会主张禁用安妥 ,国内尚未见安妥中毒的尸检报道。同济医科大学法医病理学教研室曾检验一例如下 :某男 ,2 2岁 ,自服大量安妥后出现呕吐 ,呕吐大量黄色胃内容物。次日上午 10时被发现后送医院急救 ,患者烦躁不安、检查不合作、口唇及鼻腔周围有黄色血性物 ,颈软、瞳孔对光反射存在。肺呼吸音增强、心音快。病…     

Sudden death in an infant caused by rupture of a basilar artery aneurysm

Ruptured aneurysms of the cerebrovasculature in infancy and early childhood, except for "giant" aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations, are rare. Seizures, loss of consciousness, and apnea are the usual presenting signs in infancy; symptoms such as headache or visual disturbances and signs such as cranial nerve compression or meningeal irritation commonly found in older children or adults are absent in infants. However, the morphologic findings (i.e., subarachnoid and retinal hemorrhage, and occasionally subdural hemorrhage) may be mistaken for inflicted trauma, especially if the aneurysm is not identified. Sudden death caused by rupture of a cerebral aneurysm has not been previously described in an infant. This report outlines the investigation and autopsy findings in a 7-month-old infant who died unexpectedly as a result of rupture of a complex basilar artery aneurysm.     

Chlorobutanol poisoning. Report of a fatal case.

A fatal chlorobutanol intoxication is reported and a gas chromatographic method for the determination of this drug in human fluids and tissues is described. Analytical findings for blood, urine, stomach contents, bile, liver, kidney, spleen, and brain are reported.     

Sellar fracture followed by sudden death: an autopsy case

The authors describe a case of sellar fracture followed by sudden death. The victim was involved in a wrangle. The autopsy revealed facial damage and sellar fracture and no evidence of cerebral damage, except for a mild subarachnoid hemorrhage in the left parietotemporal regions and undersurface of both frontal lobes. Sellar fracture is a rare and severe entity, associated with serious complications, which is frequently diagnosed postmortem. In any case, death is rarely a direct consequence of the sellar fracture itself and is usually considered to be the result of associated cerebral trauma. This case prompted us to screen the literature on sellar fracture to gain a better understanding of the mechanism of death.     

Pericardial lipoma: an autopsy case and review of the literature

Postmortem examination performed on a 70-year-old man revealed a thinly encapsulated, ovoid, large mass in the right hemithorax. The tumor was attached with its pedicle to the atrioventral pericardium and adjoined the diaphragm with compression of the right lower lobe of the lung. There was no adhesion between the tumor and the surrounding organs. Light microscopy showed a lipoma consisting of mature adipose tissue, and no malignancy was found.     

Fatal hemothorax from mycotic celiac artery aneurysm.

We present two cases of ruptured mycotic aneurysms infected with Staphylococcus aureus. Each patient had hemoptysis and in each case there was hemothorax caused by a ruptured mycotic aneurysm of the celiac artery. In case 1, the pathogenesis was transient Staphylococcus aureus septicemia infecting an atherosclerotic plaque with subsequent aneurysm formation and rupture. In case 2, the septicemia arose from an infected knee. The presentation of a celiac artery aneurysm as hemoptysis and as the cause of hemothorax is rare.     

Rapidly growing internal carotid artery aneurysm after amphetamine abuse: case report

Amphetamine is one of the most common illicitly abused drugs in certain countries. It is a potent sympathomimetic that may lead to vascular events, including stroke and myocardial infarction. Most reports of stroke after amphetamine abuse are of intracerebral hemorrhage. In this report, the authors describe a ruptured aneurysm of the right internal carotid artery in a young man with amphetamine abuse. It grew rapidly within 2 weeks. Surgery revealed fibrosis and fibrinoid necrosis around the aneurysm. The aneurysm was successfully embolized with Guglielmi detachable coil. A rapidly growing aneurysm in the major intracranial vessels resulting from amphetamine abuse is very rare.     

Sudden death due to congenital pericardial defect: an autopsy case

Pericardial defects are rare in childhood and outcome is usually benign. Patients may be asymptomatic, but chest pain, emboli, arrhythmia, and sudden death have been described in the literature. We report the case of a 12-year-old boy who suddenly died after mild exercise. A left-sided pericardial defect with a diameter of 8 cm was detected on medico-legal autopsy.     

Sudden death due to dissecting pulmonary artery aneurysm: a case report and review of the literature

Pulmonary artery aneurysm and pulmonary artery dissection are rare antemortem diagnoses, most often associated with sudden death. These pathologic entities are strongly associated with chronic pulmonary hypertension due to structural cardiac defects, either congenital or acquired. We report the case of a 49-year-old woman who died suddenly due to dissection and rupture of a large pulmonary trunk aneurysm, with subsequent cardiac tamponade. Key historical and physical findings are described. Additionally, we present a discussion of the incidence, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and pathologic diagnostic features of pulmonary artery dissection.     

Poisoning by toxic plants in China. Report of 19 autopsy cases

In this article, we report on 19 autopsy cases in China in which the cause of death was poisoning by toxic plants. The emphasis is on analyses of the target organs or tissues affected by these plants. The mechanism of poisoning and cause of death are approached on the basis of the pathologic changes, and associated problems relating to forensic medicine are discussed.