title: [Homicidal poisoning by aconite: report of a case from the viewpoint of clinical forensic medicine].
abstract: A case of homicidal poisoning by aconite is reported from the viewpoint of clinical forensic medicine and analytical chemistry. Jesaconitine was detected in the vomitus, stomach contents, plasma and urine at concentrations of 32.2, 5.48, 0.433 and 1.07 micrograms/ml, respectively. The total amount of jesaconitine in the stomach contents was 1.3 mg. Macroscopic autopsy revealed hemorrhagic pulmonary edema, and histologically, diffuse contraction-band necrosis was evident in the myocardium. Exogenous administration of adrenaline or endogenous release of catecholamines are known to induce hemorrhagic pulmonary edema and contraction-band necrosis, and aconitine is reported to cause release of endogenous catecholamines centrally and to induce neurogenic pulmonary edema and ventricular-type arrhythmia. Therefore, the chief cause of death in this case was considered to be aconite-induced centrogenic arrhythmia.
authors: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Mori
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Mukaida
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Ishiyama
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Hori
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Okada
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Sasaki
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Mii
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Mizugaki
mesh_terms: D031841:Aconitum / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology