title: Acute oesophageal necrosis (black oesophagus).
abstract: A 54-year-old man was admitted to hospital after being found unconscious in his home. He had a history of alcoholism, multiple drug addictions, and type I diabetes mellitus. At admission, he had hyperglycaemia (550 mg/dL) with glucosuria and ketone bodies in the urine, along with septic shock refractory to bilateral alveolar infiltrates and severe respiratory failure. The patient died 24 hours post admission due to multiple organ failure, with diabetic ketoacidosis decompensated by possible respiratory infection in a patient with polytoxicomania. The autopsy confirmed the presence of acute bilateral bronchopneumonia, chronic pancreatitis, severe hepatic steatosis, and generalized congestive changes. At the oesophagus, acute oesophageal necrosis was evident.
authors.affiliation: Servicio Patología Forense, Instituto de Medicina Legal de Cataluña, España.
authors.forename: Ignasi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Galtés
authors.affiliation: Centre de Patologia Forense de Collserola, Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya, España.
authors.forename: María Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Gallego
authors.affiliation: Histopatología, INT y CF de Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Esgueva
authors.affiliation: Subdirecció Barcelona Comarques, Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya (IMLC), españa.
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin-Fumadó
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001344:Autopsy; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology; D009336:Necrosis