The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Embolism of Cerebral Tissue to the Lung After Head Trauma: A Case Report
We present a case of cerebral tissue pulmonary embolization after severe head trauma in a male adult. The autopsy revealed multiple skull fractures, subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhages, and contusions. Microscopically, we observed cerebral tissue inside the branches of the pulmonary arteries. Embolism of cerebral tissue to the pulmonary circulation is a rare condition. It should always be kept in mind in sudden unexpected deaths during delivery and head trauma cases at any age. (Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology)
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Illustrated Forensic Pathology Source Type: research

Atypical Endovascular Cells in SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia
The autopsy findings for 3 cases of SARS-(CoV-2) pneumonia-related deaths are reported with pulmonary histology and immunohistochemistry findings. In 2 cases (cases 1 and 2), the time interval from presentation to death was approximately 1 week, whereas for case 3, the time interval from presentation to death was hours. Case 1 and case 2 presented with shortness of breath, cough, and flu-like symptoms. The decedent from case 3 died shortly after presenting to a local emergency room with high fever, chest and abdominal pain, and shortness of breath. All 3 cases had 1 or more comorbidities. The postmortem interval for cases ...
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Illustrated Forensic Pathology Source Type: research

Missed Opportunities Preceding Overdose Death: A Commentary on County Coroner's Overdose Data
No abstract available (Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology)
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research

Fatal Acute Pancreatitis in an Adolescent: A Case Report
We report a fatal case of acute pancreatitis in a 14-year-old adolescent girl who was brought unresponsive to the emergency room of a university hospital and died after unsuccessful resuscitation efforts. (Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology)
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

Unexpected and Sudden Death Due to Undiagnosed Moraxella catarrhalis Meningoencephalitis in a 40-day-old Infant: Case Report and Literature Review
Acute bacterial meningitis in infants and newborns represents a medical emergency and a significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Moraxella catarrhalis has been considered a microorganism with low pathogenic potential, and only in exceptional cases has it been found to cause meningitis in infants and immunocompetent people. We will now document an unusual case of an unexpected and sudden death of a 40-day-old infant due to acute meningitis from M. catarrhalis, apparently asymptomatic and subsequently diagnosed by an autopsy. According to our knowledge this is the first case of unexpected infant death due to u...
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

Sudden Unexpected Death in MELAS Syndrome Due to Diabetic Ketoacidosis
We present a case report of a 25 year-old man with MELAS (Mitochondrial Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-like episodes) syndrome, who died suddenly and unexpectedly from diabetic ketoacidosis. This case report illustrates why it is important for medical examiners to be familiar with the clinical and autopsy features of MELAS syndrome and to be aware of the common complications, which may lead to sudden unexpected death. (Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology)
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

Incidental Massive Hydrocephalus Associated With an Unruptured Choroid Plexus Arteriovenous Malformation and Complete Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum Found in an Adult at Autopsy
We present a case of a 46-year-old man with no neurological deficits or history of head trauma that was incidentally found to have a massive hydrocephalus at autopsy. This was found to be associated with an unruptured arteriovenous malformation completely confined to the choroid plexus as well as complete agenesis of the corpus callosum. The arteriovenous malformation was found to form a calcified obstruction at the foramen of Monro analogous to a mass lesion, such as a colloid cyst of the third ventricle. The association of this malformation and agenesis of the corpus callosum has never been described. Histologic examinat...
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

Fatal Direct Current Electrocution in a Welder
Direct current (DC) electrocution is exceedingly rare, especially in the context of workplace accidents and exposure, where electrical fatality is almost exclusively associated with alternating current (AC). The DC electrocution requires a much higher voltage to cause significant injury and death, and therefore is generally considered safer than AC. Here, we present a case of DC electrocution where a welder accidentally electrocuted himself while repairing a metal plate inside a silo. The decedent had complained of feeling shocks in his arm while welding twice before being electrocuted. Autopsy revealed minimal trauma, alo...
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

Homicide-Suicide: A Homicidal Asphyxiation Misinterpreted as a Gunshot Wound at the Scene
We present the case of a 68-year-old woman who was found dead in her bedroom, with her husband being found dead in the garage. Her husband had shot himself, and the woman, who was lying partially on her side, had blood coming from her ear that was facing upward and was, at the scene, also believed to have been shot. Autopsy revealed no gunshot wound, but instead florid petechial hemorrhages of the face and conjunctivae, a few contusions of the left and right sides of the neck, a laceration of the lower lip, oral mucosal petechiae, focal hemorrhage in the soft tissue around the hyoid bone, and focal hemorrhages in the left ...
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

A Case of Crossbow Homicide With Review of Crossbow Injuries and Manner of Death Considerations
Crossbow fatalities are a rare occurrence, but crossbow use is on the rise. The manner of death in crossbow fatalities is overwhelmingly opined accident or suicide, not homicide. Despite their increasing use and reports of at least 14 crossbow-related homicides in the media for the last 5 years, crossbow homicides are rarely reported in the medical literature; only 10 articles that discussed 20 crossbow homicides were identified in the PubMed database. Here, we describe a case of a 20-year-old man who was found dead in his driveway after being shot in the abdomen with a crossbow by another person. The crossbow bolt had a m...
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

Death in Sauna Associated With a Transdermal Fentanyl Patch
We present a case of an accidental fatal fentanyl overdose caused by increased uptake of the drug from a transdermal patch while experiencing the heat of a sauna. (Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology)
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

Lost in the Clinics and Found in the Morgue: A Case of Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma Masquerading as Pneumonia
In modern medicine, there is an increasing dependence on noninvasive imaging modalities, for diagnosis and management of diseases. Though there are definite advantages to this, they are at times offset by diagnostic pitfalls especially in entities with elusive clinical presentation. (Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology)
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

Three Cases of Karoshi Without the Typical Pathomorphological Features of Cardiovascular/Cerebrovascular Disease
Karoshi is a term used to describe unexplained sudden death associated with overwork and has become a serious public health issue in China. Cases have occurred in physicians, university professors, engineers in high-tech companies, and blue-collar workers. The mechanisms associated with death by overwork are very complex. According to most researchers, karoshi is considered to be caused by an excessive workload that induces deterioration of underlying hypertension or atherosclerosis. These conditions inevitably lead to death from cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases. However, in our own experience, we have found that...
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

Firearm Injury From Hunting .30 Caliber Bullet Passing Through an Intermediate Target (Binoculars): A Reconstruction of Events
This article presents the results of research relating to the ricocheting of hunting ammunition and the application of these results to the investigation of a specific gunshot death, which occurred during a hunt for boars. The scene and autopsy findings revealed that a bullet had first struck a pair of binoculars around the victim's neck before entering his body. As the investigation proceeded, however, questions were raised as to whether the shot was a direct one or a ricochet. The case was thus referred to forensic medicine experts for their opinion. Experiments were conducted, which demonstrated that, although test ammu...
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research

A Reevaluation of the Death of Vincent van Gogh: Suicide or Murder? The Need for a Definitive Autopsy
Vincent van Gogh died on July 29, 1890, from an apparent gunshot wound to the belly sustained approximately 30 hours earlier on July 27. Although little is known how Vincent sustained his mortal wound, art historians have long believed that the death was the result of a suicide, a widely accepted “truth” for the mysterious death of the then unknown and now iconic artist. The basis and validity of this suicide narrative is still very hotly debated among van Gogh scholars to this day. We dug deeper into all the circumstantial evidence and testimonies to arrive at a comprehensive overview of the probability that it was li...
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - November 23, 2020 Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Historical Review Source Type: research