title: An autopsy case of sudden unexpected death due to a glial cyst of the pineal gland.
abstract: Pineal cysts are usually asymptomatic; however, they may rarely cause symptoms such as chronic headache, paroxysmal headache with gaze paresis, postural syncope, loss of consciousness, and sudden death. A 30-year-old woman with no specific medical history except chronic headache was found collapsed in a public toilet per se. Postmortem examination revealed no external injuries or internal diseases except a cystic lesion of the pineal gland. Histologic examination showed an internal cyst surrounded by glial tissues and pineal parenchyma that was diagnosed as a glial cyst of the pineal gland. Although the pineal cyst cannot be confirmed as the cause of death, it was considered, as no other cause was evident. Herein, we report a pineal cyst considered as an assumed cause of death.
authors: From the *Forensic Medicine Division, Gwangju Institute, National Forensic Service, Jangseoung-gun; and †Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam; and ‡Department of Forensic Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
authors: Joo-Young
authors: JY
authors: Na
authors: Kyung-Hwa
authors: KH
authors: Lee
authors: Hyung-Seok
authors: HS
authors: Kim
authors: Jong-Tae
authors: JT
authors: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D003560:Cysts / Q000473:pathology*; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000473:pathology; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000473:pathology*