[Sudden death in the presence of systemic mastocytosis and urticaria pigmentosa].

Systemic mastocytosis is an extremely rare disease characterised by abnormal mast cell production and accumulation of mast cells in the bone marrow or organs, and to some extent also in the skin (urticaria pigmentosa). To date there have been no descriptions of death caused by systemic mastocytosis. The present first description of such a fatality is based upon a case of anaphylactic histamine shock, probably caused by the consumption of peanuts.

[Fatal inhalation of butane-propane gas].

Fatal intoxications with butane and/or propane are rare although the inhalation of such liquid gases in order to induce hallucinations is not uncommon amongst youngsters, the number of which is difficult to evaluate. Thus the possibility of gas intoxication should be taken into consideration in all cases of unclear death of youngsters, in which case the macroscopic and histological findings will be unspecific whereas the chemical-toxicological analyses, especially of the native brain, lung and liver tissue, lead to definite conclusions.