title: The unexpected finding of a benign mature teratoma in a forensic pathology autopsy: a rare cause for sudden, unexpected death.
abstract: Intracranial teratomas are rare tumors that are usually discovered in infancy due to progressive symptoms. We describe a case of a 38-year-old man who was found dead 9 hours after the last sign of life. The deceased's medical history could not explain the sudden, unexpected death. A forensic autopsy revealed an asymptomatic, mature teratoma in the left frontal and temporal lobes. We concluded that the cause of death must have been a generalized epileptiform seizure originating in the tumor site(s) leading to aspiration of the stomach contents and unfavorable positioning, resulting in asphyxia.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Forensic Medicine, Section for Forensic Pathology and Clinical Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aarhus University, and †Institute of Pathology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christian Bjerre
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Høyer
authors.forename: Benedicte Parm
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Ulhøi
authors.forename: Annie Vesterby
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Charles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000209:etiology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053120:Respiratory Aspiration / Q000209:etiology; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D013724:Teratoma / Q000473:pathology*