Fatal air embolism related to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a very rare phenomenon. The authors describe the case of a 51-year-old female patient who developed this mortal complication; a computed tomography (CT) examination was performed in articulo mortis by the physicians. Autopsy was unreliable because of bizarre post-mortem changes (reabsorption of intra-cardiac gas vs. conservation of intra-cranial gas) and a lack of strong diagnostic value of histological findings. The right diagnosis was possible thanks only to the CT examination that permitted the assumption of this possible cause of death before the autopsy and to prepare the necessary procedures to recognise and probe air embolism. This case exemplifies how early post-mortem imaging can be crucial to avoid a wrong diagnosis.

Fatal air embolism during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) : an ‘impossible’ diagnosis for the forensic pathologist / M. Marchesi, A. Battistini, M. Pellegrinelli, G. Gentile, R. Zoja. - In: MEDICINE, SCIENCE AND THE LAW. - ISSN 0025-8024. - 56:1(2016 Jan), pp. 70-73. [10.1177/0025802415594833]

Fatal air embolism during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) : an ‘impossible’ diagnosis for the forensic pathologist

A. Battistini
Secondo
;
G. Gentile
Penultimo
;
R. Zoja
2016

Abstract

Fatal air embolism related to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a very rare phenomenon. The authors describe the case of a 51-year-old female patient who developed this mortal complication; a computed tomography (CT) examination was performed in articulo mortis by the physicians. Autopsy was unreliable because of bizarre post-mortem changes (reabsorption of intra-cardiac gas vs. conservation of intra-cranial gas) and a lack of strong diagnostic value of histological findings. The right diagnosis was possible thanks only to the CT examination that permitted the assumption of this possible cause of death before the autopsy and to prepare the necessary procedures to recognise and probe air embolism. This case exemplifies how early post-mortem imaging can be crucial to avoid a wrong diagnosis.
forensic pathology; forensic medicine
Settore MED/43 - Medicina Legale
gen-2016
24-lug-2015
Article (author)
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/314192
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