Lethal Laryngopyocele

A 44‐year‐old man collapsed after complaining of difficulty breathing. Layer dissection of the neck at autopsy revealed a large mixed internal and external laryngopyocele occluding the upper airway. It contained 30 mls of yellow‐gray pus. Mechanisms of death in laryngoceles involve obstruction of the opening into the larynx resulting in accumulation of mucus or air within the sac causing airway occlusion. Once infection supervenes, deaths in laryngopyocoeles result either from accumulated pus causing airway occlusion from a mass effect (as in the current case) or the discharge of pus into the airway causing death from aspiration. Sudden death in laryngopyoceles is a very rare event that requires careful dissection at autopsy to demonstrate the characteristics of the underlying lesion and the possible mechanism of death. Laryngopyocele should be considered in the differential diagnosis of natural conditions causing acute, potentially lethal, upper airway obstruction.     

A retrospective analysis of cardiovascular deaths: A 5-year autopsy study of 1045 cases in Antalya,Turkey

This study aims to identify the macroscopic and microscopic changes that occur in the heart in different causes of cardiovascular death and sudden cardiac death in autopsy cases and evaluate the difficulties that a forensic practitioner may encounter during autopsies. All forensic autopsy cases in the Morgue Department of the Council of Forensic Medicine, Antalya Group Administration between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019, were examined, retrospectively. The cases were chosen according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and their autopsy reports were examined in detail. It was determined that 1045 cases met the study criteria, 735 of which were also met the sudden cardiac death criteria. The top three common causes of death were ischemic heart disease (n = 719, 68.8%), left ventricular hypertrophy (n = 105, 10%), and aortic dissection (n = 58, 5.5%). The frequency of myocardial interstitial fibrosis was significantly higher in deaths due to left ventricular hypertrophy than in deaths due to ischemic heart disease and other causes (χ²(2) = 33.365, p < 0.001). Despite detailed autopsy and histopathological examinations, some heart diseases that cause sudden death may still not be detected.     

论突发性危机事件精神救助的社会工作支持系统

突发性危机事件的精神救助是一项系统工程,需要社会多方面力量的支持与配合。突发事件精神救助活动中的社会工作支持系统作为社会资本的一部分,通过综合发动与当事人有关的个人、家庭、政府以及社会等不同层面的社会资源,有助于危机事件受害人精神健康的预控、疏导与恢复,有助于公众精神健康的咨询、教育、宣传与沟通,有助于社会弱势群体获得更多的社会支持。     

Molecular Autopsy of Desmosomal Protein Plakophilin‐2 in Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome

Plakophilin‐2 (PKP2) variants could produce a phenotype of Brugada syndrome (BrS), which seems to be most likely the same allelic disorder as some sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome (SUNDS). All coding regions of PKP2 gene in 119 SUNDS victims were genetically screened using PCR and direct Sanger sequencing methods. Three novel mutations (p.Ala159Thr, p.Val200Val, and p.Gly265Glu), one novel rare polymorphism (p.Thr723Thr), and eight reported polymorphisms were identified. A compound mutation (p.Ala159Thr and p.Gly265Glu) and a rare polymorphism (p.Thr723Thr) were found in one SUNDS case with absence of the cardiomyopathic features. The detected compound mutation identified in this first investigation of PKP2 genetic phenotype in SUNDS is regarded as the plausible genetic cause of this SUNDS case. The rare incidence of PKP2 mutation in SUNDS (1%) supports the previous viewpoint that SUNDS is most likely an allelic disorder as BrS.     

81例不明原因猝死法医学鉴定分析

目的总结不明原因猝死案例的流行病学及法医病理检验特点,为探明其死因提供依据和线索。方法回顾分析发生于云南省的81例不明原因猝死案例的年龄、性别、死亡时状态等流行病学特征以及解剖检验和组织学检验结果。结果 81例不明原因猝死中7例为聚集性不明原因猝死,74例为散发性不明原因猝死。聚集性不明原因猝死发生具有时间、空间和家庭聚集性,死亡时清醒状态较多。散发性不明原因猝死以男性较多见,死亡时以睡眠状态居多。聚集性不明原因猝死病理改变以心肌炎为主,同一家庭内死亡案例间病变可互不相同。散发性不明原因猝死常见的心脏病变依次为心肌脂肪浸润、心肌间质水肿、心肌纤维断裂等非特异性病变和心肌间质局灶性炎性细胞浸润。结论聚集性不明原因猝死符合云南不明原因猝死的特征,其病因可能与季节、环境、遗传等多种因素有关。散发性不明原因猝死大多数具有青壮年猝死综合征的特征。     

冠心病猝死冠脉斑块组成成分的病理形态学改变

目的探讨冠心病猝死(SCD)组和对照组冠脉粥样硬化斑块纤维帽厚度和脂质核心百分比的差异。方法随机挑选病例及心脏标本共64例,分为SCD组和对照组。在冠脉粥样硬化最严重的部位取材,制片,并行HE染色,显微镜观察冠脉的病理变化和斑块的组成,采用图像分析系统对冠脉斑块纤维帽厚度和脂质核心与整个斑块的百分比进行定量分析,所得数据用SPSS11.5统计软件进行数据分析。结果SCD组中,冠脉粥样硬化病变Ⅳ级21例,Ⅲ级15例,对照组中冠脉粥样硬化病变Ⅳ级12例,Ⅲ级16例,两组在病变的严重程度上未见显著性差异(P>0.05);两组冠脉粥样硬化斑块纤维帽的厚度和脂质核心百分比均有显著性差异(P<0.01)。结论SCD组与对照组在冠脉粥样斑块的纤维帽厚度和脂质核心百分比大小等两方面均存在显著性差异;对SCD的病理诊断和法医学鉴定都具有重要意义。     

An Unusual Cause of Headache and Sudden Death of a Young Sailor—Postmortem Computed Tomography and Histological Findings of a Fatal Retroperitoneal Malignant Mixed Germ Cell Tumor

A 26‐year‐old Caucasian sailor, with no past medical history aside from headache for the last 1 week, was found dead in his cabin. The body was stored in a refrigerator on board and disembarked for autopsy 3 days later. Autopsy showed a large, nodular, necrotic and hemorrhagic retroperitoneal mass, and smaller hemorrhagic nodules in the brain, lungs, liver, and left kidney, with the brain being markedly edematous. Both testes were descended and normal. Histologically, the retroperitoneal mass showed a malignant mixed germ cell tumor comprising choriocarcinoma, embryonal carcinoma, and teratoma components. Retroperitoneal extragonadal germ cell tumors are uncommon, and this case of a young male who presented with headache and sudden death due to metastases is extremely rare.