Death from pulmonary embolism of cyanoacrylate glue following gastric varix endoscopic injection.

We present the case of a 25 year old woman with a complex past medical history including Crigler-Najjar syndrome (Type 1) with a liver transplant in 1993 and subsequent development of cirrhosis with portal hypertension in the transplanted liver. The deceased presented to hospital with hematemesis and investigations showed a large gastric varix. The varix was injected with cyanoacrylate glue.

Forensic Analysis of Parachute Deaths.

Deaths associated with parachuting are very uncommon. However, these deaths do tend to be "high profile" in the traditional and social media. When forensic pathologists examine the deceased after a fatal parachuting incident, the anatomical cause of death is usually not in question.

Spontaneous acute subdural hematoma complicating arachnoid cyst.

The overwhelming majority of cases of acute subdural hematoma in the forensic setting occur as a result of head trauma. We report a case of sudden unexpected death in a middle-aged woman with a history of arachnoid cyst who had sudden spontaneous onset of severe headache that was rapidly followed by collapse and death. A postmortem multiple-slice computed tomographic scan showed a large acute subdural hematoma associated with hemorrhage into an arachnoid cyst.

Propofol infusion syndrome.

In this article, we present the case of a previously well 31-year-old man who sustained a mild closed-head injury following a motor vehicle incident and was admitted to the intensive care unit of a major teaching hospital. The man was sedated using propofol combined with midazolam and morphine as the main sedating agent. The propofol was started and continued at high dose for 8 days, over which time the patient deteriorated with metabolic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, renal impairment, and cardiovascular collapse and then died.

Death by smothering following forced quetiapine administration in an infant.

We present a case of smothering of a 2-year-old male infant by his schizophrenic mother who was having a psychotic episode. In addition to the initial autopsy findings of conjunctival petechial hemorrhages, facial linear abrasions and bruises, and mucosal abrasions and bruises, expert odontologic examination revealed indentations of the cusps of central incisors and molars, providing additional evidence of smothering. The postmortem and toxicological examination revealed features of forced quetiapine administration.

Fulminant heart failure due to selenium deficiency cardiomyopathy (Keshan disease).

Selenium deficiency is a rare cause of cardiomyopathy that may be encountered by the forensic pathologist. Selenium deficiency is associated with a cardiomyopathy, myopathy and osteoarthropathy. In Asia and Africa, dietary selenium deficiency is associated with a cardiomyopathy known as Keshan disease and an osteoarthropathy called Kashin-Beck disease.