Sudden death due to a haemoglobin variant.
A previous healthy 35-year-old man was found dead in his truck. Shortly before death he merely complained of influenza-like symptoms. The histological examination revealed evidence of a massive accumulation of sickle cells in smaller blood vessels. After molecular genetic analysis, the preliminary diagnosis of "sickle cell disease" was finally changed to the diagnosis of a sickle cell trait. It is presumed that an epileptic attack which also has to be considered as a concurring cause of death, precipitated sickling of the erythrocytes and led to a fatal sickle cell crisis.
Bock
H
H
Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Universitätsstrasse 22, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. Horst.Bock@recht.med.uni-erlangen.de
Seidl
S
S
Hausmann
R
R
Betz
P
P
D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012805:Sickle Cell Trait / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*