title: Fatal rupture of an undiagnosed aneurysm of the splenic artery--medico-legal implications.
abstract: Aneurysms of the visceral arteries are a rather common feature appearing in 0.1-2% of the population. The clinical relevance of those anomalies varies a lot. The wide range of descriptions reaches from asymptomatic cases to fatalities in particular due to haemorrhages. The latter will be discussed in a case report concerning a 60-year-old man who collapsed at his work place and died 4 h after admission to the intensive care unit of a hospital nearby. The ruptured aneurysm remained undiagnosed in hospital and was found by autopsy. The case is presented and discussed in view of medico-legal questions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bonn, Stiftsplatz 12, 53111 Bonn, Germany. thierauf@uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thierauf
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Preuss
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dettmeyer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Madea
mesh_terms: D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000473:pathology*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D005858:Germany; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D013157:Splenic Artery / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins