A case of fatal drug intoxication showing a high-density duodenal content by postmortem computed tomography.
A 22-year-old woman was found dead in her bed, and subsequent postmortem examination was performed using ordinary methods such as external examination, Triage®, and computed tomography (CT) scan which demonstrated a high-density content of the duodenum. Autopsy and quantitative analysis of drugs present in the GI tract showed that high amounts of radiopaque psychotic agents such as fluvoxamine maleate, carbamazepine, and zolpidem tartrate had been responsible for the high-density profile of the duodenum. Postmortem quantitative analysis of drugs in the blood suggested that death had been caused by fatal intoxication with fluvoxamine maleate. Thus, postmortem CT could offer an opportunity to suspect drug intoxication due to radiopaque psychotic agents such as chloral hydrate, phenothiazine, bromovaleryl urea, fluvoxamine maleate, and probably zolpidem tartrate, although it is neither a specific nor a quantitative test for drugs. Therefore, postmortem CT happened to provide clues to investigation of drug intoxication in the present case.
Department of Legal Medicine, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
Rie
R
Sano
Keiko
K
Takahashi
Yoshihiko
Y
Kominato
Takuya
T
Araki
Koujiro
K
Yamamoto
Hiroyuki
H
Takei
Hidenori
H
Otake
Sachiko
S
Awata
Hisashi
H
Akuzawa
Yoko
Y
Tago
Hideo
H
Aoki
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000506:poisoning*; D001344:Autopsy; D003287:Contrast Media; D062787:Drug Overdose; D004386:Duodenum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000506:poisoning*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors