Citation

Hitosugi M, Yufu T, Kido M, Yokoyama T, Nagai T, Tokudome S, Joh K. Med. Sci. Law 2005; 45(2): 179-181.

Affiliation

Department of Legal Medicine, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan. hitosugi@dokkyomed.ac.jp

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, British Academy of Forensic Sciences, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

15895647

Abstract

An autopsy case of sudden death due to pulmonary thromboembolism after a car trip is reported. A 56-year-old Japanese man with hypertension and atrial fibrillation suddenly died immediately after having driven for two and a half hours. At autopsy, the pulmonary arteries were found to be filled with dark-red, coiling thrombi consisting of fibrin and red blood cells. In the dilated right popliteal vein, a thrombus consisting of fibroblasts, a large number of collagen fibres, and newly formed capillaries was attached to the vessel wall. The cause of death was determined to be pulmonary embolism due to the thrombus of the right popliteal vein. Two and a half hours of prolonged sitting while driving a car encouraged thrombus formation. We believe that this case, the first autopsy case of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism after a car trip to be reported, highlights the importance of predicting venous thrombosis of the leg or fatal venous thromboembolism after a car trip.

Language: en