title: Sudden unexpected death due to strangulated inguinal hernia.
abstract: Sudden unwitnessed, unexpected deaths when the bodies are found in public places require a complete and meticulous medicolegal autopsy to ascertain the cause and manner of death to avoid further unnecessary investigations by the legal authorities. Such deaths attributed to gastrointestinal causes at autopsy are relatively uncommon. We report a case of sudden unexpected death due to strangulated inguinal hernia in a 60-year-old man. The body was discovered in a public area near a place of worship. The present case illustrates a potentially preventable sudden unexpected death due to a surgically correctable gastrointestinal condition. In the present case, the individual feared being hospitalised for treatment of his scrotal swelling with potential surgery and the eventual loss of daily income. In our opinion, such apprehensions may have delayed the potentially life-saving hospital surgical intervention in the individual.
authors.affiliation: University of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia mangalore971@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Ritesh G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.affiliation: Kasturba Medical College (Affiliated with Manipal University), Mangalore, India.
authors.forename: Jagadish Rao
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Padubidri
authors.affiliation: Kasturba Medical College (Affiliated with Manipal University), Mangalore, India.
authors.forename: Y P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Raghavendra Babu
authors.affiliation: Yenepoya Medical College, Yenepoya University, Mangalore, India.
authors.forename: Ramadas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.affiliation: Kasturba Medical College (Affiliated with Manipal University), Mangalore, India.
authors.forename: Tanuj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanchan
authors.affiliation: Erode Emergency Care Hospital, Erode, India.
authors.forename: Subramanian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Senthilkumaran
authors.affiliation: Kasturba Medical College (Affiliated with Manipal University), Mangalore, India.
authors.forename: Khushboo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chawla
mesh_terms: D049429:Forensic Pathology / Q000379:methods; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000150:complications*; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Forensic pathology; medicolegal autopsy; strangulated inguinal hernia; sudden unexpected death