Spontaneous acute subdural hematoma complicating arachnoid cyst.
The overwhelming majority of cases of acute subdural hematoma in the forensic setting occur as a result of head trauma. We report a case of sudden unexpected death in a middle-aged woman with a history of arachnoid cyst who had sudden spontaneous onset of severe headache that was rapidly followed by collapse and death. A postmortem multiple-slice computed tomographic scan showed a large acute subdural hematoma associated with hemorrhage into an arachnoid cyst. Subdural hemorrhage is an uncommon but well-described complication of an arachnoid cyst.
Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Southbank, Victoria, Australia. michaelb@vifm.org
Michael Philip
MP
Burke
Chris
C
O'Donnell
Kenneth
K
Opeskin
D016080:Arachnoid Cysts / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D020199:Hematoma, Subdural, Acute / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed