title: Homicide by heart attack?
abstract: We report here the case of a 53-year-old man who suddenly fell to the ground after being involved in a physical aggression by two younger men. Forensic autopsy revealed no significant injury except for slight, pale abrasions on the face. There were extensive signs of hypertensive and severe coronary artery atherosclerosis, corresponding to the data available from clinical history. The cause of death was established as acute myocardial ischemia due to hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, probably related to the physical and/or emotional stress due to the aggression. We discuss medico-legal aspects of the death.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Catholic University, School of Medicine, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy. fabio.degiorgio@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Giorgio
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arena
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arena
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lodise
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vetrugno
authors.forename: Arnaldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capelli
authors.forename: Vincenzo L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Pascali