title: [Larynx lesions and sudden death (author's transl)].
abstract: Several recently observed cases of "Sudden Death" caused by larynx lesions give reason for a special discussion of this problem. At the Institute of Legal Medicine only six cases were found in 10.747 autopsies between 1949 and 1970. A brief description of the anatomical structure of the larynx is followed by a discussion of the 4 general pathological entities, which might be the etiological cause of laryngeal obstruction: 1. Abnormalities 2. Disturbances of circulation 3. Inflammations 4. Tumors Besides the question of the forensic-medical importance of such fatal cases, the difficulty of evaluating some of the patho-morphologic and histologic findings is discussed. Simultaneously attention is drawn to the frequent lack of a clinical history, so that life-supporting measures wuch as tracheotomy and others are applied very late or not at all. Finally the problem of forensic evaluation of larynx-cysts and their etiology is presented. In this context the clarification of a causal relationship with possible previous intubations of the larynx is of major importance.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D003645:Death, Sudden; D004825:Epiglottis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D007819:Laryngeal Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D007827:Laryngitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D007829:Laryngostenosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D007830:Larynx / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male
vernacular_title: Kehlkopfveränderungen und plötzlicher Tod