title: Case of sudden death following rupture of thoracic aortic aneurysm during "a manual therapy" procedure in the spinal area.
abstract: The reported case concerns the rupture of an aneurysm located in the descending part of the thoracic aorta during the procedure of the so-called "spinal adjustment" performed by a chiropractor. A 45-year-old patient with no significant medical history of cardiovascular diseases visited, along with his wife, one of "manual therapy" practices because of back pain. During the procedure, the patient suddenly lost consciousness. Despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency assistance given by an ambulance team, the patient died. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was increasing cardiorespiratory failure secondary to bleeding into the lumen of the left pleural cavity following the rupture of pathologically altered thoracic aortic wall.
authors.affiliation: Aleksandra Kaczorowska, Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Oczki 1, 02-007 Warsaw, Poland, tel. +48 22 628 89 75, e-mail: oladolega@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaczorowska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dąbkowska
mesh_terms: D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D001344:Autopsy; D001416:Back Pain / Q000628:therapy; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008349:Manipulation, Orthopedic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged