Lethal pulmonary thromboembolism associated with decreased thyroid hormone levels.
Thyroid pathology is rarely involved in the pathogenesis of sudden death in young people. We report here the cases of two young patients with decreased levels of thyroid hormones whose death was caused by an increased thrombotic status, with venous thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism. In both cases the thyroid pathology was not considered as the underlying cause of death as the association between this condition and venous thrombosis is still debatable. However its presence may be considered a circumstantial factor, which could increase the severity of the disease and subsequently the lethality rate in pulmonary thromboembolism. An increased awareness for hypothyroidism or subclinical hypothyroidism in clinical practice may lead to a decrease in mortality secondary to thromboembolic disease. Also, increased awareness for thyroid pathology during forensic autopsy in sudden deaths may lead to potentially significant results, that could explain some of the sudden death with an unknown cause, and decrease the number of the so called blank autopsies.
Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, RO.
Sorin
S
Hostiuc
Department of Forensic Pathology, National Institute of Legal Medicine, Bucharest, RO.
Corneliu Octavian
CO
Capatina
Department of Cardiology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, RO.
Crina Julieta
CJ
Sinescu
Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, RO.
Mihaela
M
Hostiuc
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*
D013963:Thyroid Hormones