An autopsy case of chemical burns by hydrochloric acid.
A 34-year-old man was discovered by his coworkers in a tank filled with 35% (w/w) hydrochloric acid. Despite undergoing intensive treatment, he died one and a half days later. An autopsy revealed generalized high tensity, overall grayish brown skin color, heavy gastric submucosal hemorrhage and heavy pulmonary edema. We concluded that death was caused by burn shock due to wide, generalized chemical burn. Microscopic investigation of the burn in the area with grayish brown skin considered coagulation necrosis of full-thickness of the skin (third-degree or deep burn), revealed that the burn was judged to cover the partial thickness of the skin (second-degree or dermal burn). These findings suggest that chemical burn by hydrochloric acid results in a change of skin color due to chemical reaction so that the appearance of the chemical burn is more severe than the degree assigned by histological examination.
Kozawa
Shuji
S
Division of Legal Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake-cho, Miyazaki 889-1692, Japan. skozawa@med.miyazaki-u.ac.jp
Kakizaki
Eiji
E
Muraoka
Eri
E
Koketsu
Hideki
H
Setoyama
Mitsuru
M
Yukawa
Nobuhiro
N
D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000328:Adult; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002424:Caustics / Q000633:toxicity*; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000473:pathology; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000473:pathology; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000473:pathology; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000473:pathology; D012769:Shock / Q000209:etiology
D002424:Caustics; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid