title: The cocaine "body stuffer" syndrome: a fatal case.
abstract: Body stuffer, sometimes called "mini packer", is the definition of someone who admits to or is strongly suspected of ingesting illegal drugs in order to escape detection by authorities, and not for recreational purposes or to transport the drug across borders. Cocaine is the drug most commonly involved in the body stuffer syndrome. Reported cases of body stuffer deaths are rare, however a fatality related to the ingestion of a plastic bag containing cocaine is described regarding a 17-year-old dealer. The authors describe how the cocaine body stuffer syndrome differs from the usual body packer. Histological and toxicological findings are examined and discussed for a better definition of this unique syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Foggia, Ospedali Riuniti, Via L. Pinto 1, I-71100, Foggia, Italy. vfinesc@tin.it
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fineschi
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Centini
authors.forename: Floriana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monciotti
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turillazzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001344:Autopsy; D016578:Crack Cocaine / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D003415:Crime; D004435:Eating; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000473:pathology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011041:Poisoning / Q000473:pathology*; D013270:Stomach
chemical_list: D016578:Crack Cocaine