Cirsoid aneurysms are rare arteriovenous malformations without any capillaries interposed and almost always observed in the scalp region. These types of aneurysms are so-called "cirsoid" because of their serpiginous appearance. In this report, the authors present the first case of a lethal spontaneous rupture of a cirsoid aneurysm of the splenic artery, which could be diagnosed only by post-mortem histologic examination. The victim was a 70-year-old man who was suddenly found dead in bed while he was hospitalized and waiting for a scheduled cardiac surgery. A forensic autopsy was ordered due to the suspicion that the man's death could have been related to medical malpractice. An accurate autopsy and a complete forensic histologic examination could clarify the cause of death, which was identified in the spontaneous rupture of a cirsoid aneurysm of the splenic artery. The case is intended to be used as source data for similar forensic cases, where the cause of a massive hemoperitoneum is difficult to be identified.
Cirsoid aneurysm rupture of the splenic artery as a rare cause of fatal hemoperitoneum / G. Gentile, N. Galante, A. Del Gobbo, A. Lazzaro, S. Tambuzzi, R. Zoja. - In: JOURNAL OF FORENSIC AND LEGAL MEDICINE. - ISSN 1752-928X. - 79(2021 Apr), pp. 102134.1-102134.5. [10.1016/j.jflm.2021.102134]
Cirsoid aneurysm rupture of the splenic artery as a rare cause of fatal hemoperitoneum
G. Gentile;N. Galante;A. Del Gobbo;S. Tambuzzi;R. Zoja
2021
Abstract
Cirsoid aneurysms are rare arteriovenous malformations without any capillaries interposed and almost always observed in the scalp region. These types of aneurysms are so-called "cirsoid" because of their serpiginous appearance. In this report, the authors present the first case of a lethal spontaneous rupture of a cirsoid aneurysm of the splenic artery, which could be diagnosed only by post-mortem histologic examination. The victim was a 70-year-old man who was suddenly found dead in bed while he was hospitalized and waiting for a scheduled cardiac surgery. A forensic autopsy was ordered due to the suspicion that the man's death could have been related to medical malpractice. An accurate autopsy and a complete forensic histologic examination could clarify the cause of death, which was identified in the spontaneous rupture of a cirsoid aneurysm of the splenic artery. The case is intended to be used as source data for similar forensic cases, where the cause of a massive hemoperitoneum is difficult to be identified.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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