Sudden death in a 27-year-old man with Chiari I malformation.
We present a case of a witnessed sudden death of a 27-year-old adult man with no antecedent trauma who subsequently was found to have a previously undiagnosed Chiari I malformation. Cases of sudden unprovoked respiratory collapse in children and adults with Chiari I malformation have been well documented, leading to death in some children. There have also been rare examples of sudden death in adults with Chiari I malformation; however, these decedents experienced recent trauma. This is a unique example of a witnessed sudden death of an adult with previously undiagnosed Chiari I malformation in the absence of trauma.
Stephany
Joshua D
JD
Department of Pathology, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, Florida, USA. jdsmd2@yahoo.com
Garavaglia
Jan C
JC
Pearl
Gary S
GS
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000328:Adult; D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D005355:Fibrosis; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D015743:Giant Cells, Foreign-Body / Q000473:pathology; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006547:Hernia / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000473:pathology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000473:pathology; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000473:pathology; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000209:etiology