title: Autopsy results of a case of ingestion of sodium hydroxide solution.
abstract: Sodium hydroxide is a strongly corrosive alkali. We describe herein a case of suicide by ingestion of sodium hydroxide. A man in his 80s was found dead with a mug and a bottle of caustic soda. Macroscopically, liquefaction and/or disappearance of esophagus, trachea and lung tissue and a grayish discoloration of the mucosa of the stomach were seen along with blackish brown coloration of the skin, mouth, and oral cavity. The contents of the gastrointestinal tract showed a pH level of 7-8 on pH indicator strips. Histopathologically, liquefactive necrosis of remnant lung tissue and the stomach were seen. As biological reactions such as vasodilatation and inflammation were not detected in these organs, only a short number of hours must have passed between ingestion and death. This human case provides valuable information concerning the direct irritation induced by systemic exposure to corrosive substances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology II, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shin-machi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1010, Japan; Medical Examiner's Office of Hyogo Prefecture, 2-1-31 Arata-machi, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Emoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology II, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shin-machi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1010, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshizawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic Cytopathology and Histopathology, Kansai Medical University Takii Hospital, 10-15 Fumizono, Moriguchi, Osaka 570-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shikata
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology II, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shin-machi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1010, Japan.
authors.forename: Airo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsubura
authors.affiliation: Medical Examiner's Office of Hyogo Prefecture, 2-1-31 Arata-machi, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagasaki
keywords: autopsy; chemical burn; histopathology; sodium hydroxide; suicide