title: An autopsy case of asthmatic death--usefulness of biochemical examination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is the one of the major causes of sudden death in Japan. Postmortem diagnosis of asthma has been based on morphological findings in lungs, but it histological evidence, was also reported that the biochemical markers such as total and specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) are useful.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present here a case of fatal asthmatic death. A Japanese male in his thirties, complaining of dyspnea, collapsed suddenly. He was taken by ambulance to hospital, but cardiopulmonary resuscitation was ineffective. From autopsy findings, we concluded that the cause of death was asphyxia due to asthma attack. Biochemical findings indicated that the deceased had a severe asthmatic condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the presented case, the biochemical examination of the serum obtained at autopsy gave helpful information for the diagnosis that asthmatic attack was a cause of death.
authors.affiliation: Hyogo College of Medicine, Department of Legal Medicine, Hyogo, Japan. kinochin@hyo-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasuda
authors.forename: Minori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishiguchi
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ouchi
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamura
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Motomura
authors.forename: Nao
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohtsu
authors.forename: Shie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Motoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komeda
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hishida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000473:pathology*; D001344:Autopsy; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male