Citation

Hiquet J, Tovagliaro F, Gromb-Monnoyeur S. J. Forensic Leg. Med. 2014; 21: 22-23.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Medical Law and Ethic, University Victor Segalen, Bordeaux, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jflm.2013.10.013

PMID

24365682

Abstract

Sudden cardiac death is a major health problem and a recurring issue in forensic medicine. Most cases are attributed to congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, pathology of the coronary arteries, long or short QT interval syndromes, Brugada syndrome or secondary toxic effects of cardioactive drugs. Sudden death caused by Commotio cordis after an accidental fall is very rare in women. Victims are essentially young people who die following a direct blow to the chest sustained during physical activity. In the following, we report a case of an adult with no significant past medical history, walking on the beach with friends, who died from commotio cordis following an accidental fall on the wet sand. This article deals with post-mortem diagnosis, and demonstrates the importance of a detailed understanding of the circumstances surrounding the death, as well as systematic histological examination of the heart, as the heart will generally appear normal under macroscopic examination. It is important to note that commotio cordis can also occur in adults.

Language: en