Citation

Cascini F, Biondo D, Giannace C, Filograna L, Laino D, Capelli A, Pascali VL. J. Forensic Sci. 2019; 64(4): 1234-1237.

Affiliation

Istituto di Sanità Pubblica, sezione di Medicina Legale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168, Roma, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.13957

PMID

30444943

Abstract

History of neck trauma should be promptly investigated in patients with severe infections of the chest as mediastinitis. We present a forensic case of a death due to a mediastinitis in a patient with an undetected fracture of the superior horn of the thyroid cartilage that was exclusively revealed at autopsy examination. Histological analyses of the neck tissues showed signs of pharyngeal mucosal microperforation caused by the fracture and surrounded by an inflammatory reaction. The fracture was caused by a not declared manual strangulation attempt, happened several days before medical evaluations. We share our experience to emphasize the importance of revealing the etiologies of fatal infections of the mediastinum both for clinical and forensic purposes.

© 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Language: en

Keywords

assault; forensic pathology; forensic science; manual strangulation; mediastinitis; neck trauma; septic shock; thyroid fracture