Haemorrhagic complication of acute necrotizing pancreatitis presenting with sudden death.
Certain complications of acute pancreatitis may lead to death, and of these, haemorrhage caused by rupture of a peri-pancreatic vessel is among the most dangerous. The case reported here was remarkable because the onset of acute necrotizing pancreatitis was completely asymptomatic and the severe haemorrhage of the portal vein that caused the patient's death was only discovered at autopsy. The onset of abdominal pain was immediately followed by death.
Di Paolo
Marco
M
Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Pisa, S. Chiara Hospital, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy. marcodipaolo@med.unipi.it
Marradi
Ilaria
I
D000368:Aged; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000473:pathology*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology*