Vascular compromise as a cause of sudden death in a pediatric patient with widely metastatic testicular germ cell tumor.
During hospitalization for evaluation of a large testicular tumor with extensive metastatic disease, this 14-year-old boy collapsed while showering and could not be resuscitated. At autopsy, there was no evidence of thromboembolic phenomenon, a known cause of sudden death in metastatic testicular tumors and other large abdominal tumors. However, marked compression of the inferior vena cava by a large pelvicoabdominal tumor mass and findings suggestive of systemic-portal shunting were consistent with the death due to the impaired venous return via the inferior vena cava.
Grunzke
Mindy
M
Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver, CO, USA. Grunzke.Mindy@tchden.org
Schreiner
Teri
T
Thomison
John B
JB
Jedlicka
Paul
P
Albano
Edythe
E
D000293:Adolescent; D001344:Autopsy; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000150:complications*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D014652:Vascular Diseases; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000503:physiopathology*