Sudden unexpected death due to cerebellar astrocytoma (Pilocytic astrocytoma): An autopsy case

Santral sinir sistemi tümörleri nadiren ani ve beklenmedik ölüm nedeni olurlar. Burada sunulan olgu, tamamen sağlıklı görünen ve bilinen yakınması bulunmayan 22 yaşında bir askerde serebellum içine kanama ile ani ölüme neden olmuş bir pilositik astrositom olgusudur. Acil servise kusma ve başağrısı yakınması ile başvuran olguda kısa süre içinde uyaranlara yanıtsızlık ve spontan solunumun durması ile koma gelişmiştir. Subaraknoid kanama ve ensefalit öntanıları düşünülen hastanın yoğun bakım izleminde sağ serebellar hematom tanısı konulmuştur. Yoğun bakımda uygulanan tüm destek tedavi girişimlerine rağmen olgu, hastaneye kabulün üçüncü gününde eks olarak kabul edilmiştir. İzin dönüşünde meydana gelen bu ölüm olgusu, olgunun asker olması da dikkate alınarak adli nitelik kazanmış ve otopsi yapılmak üzere Adli Tıp Kurumu Başkanlığı Morg İhtisas Dairesi'ne gönderilmiştir. Otopside travmatik değişim saptanmayan olguda, sağ serebellar hemisferde hematom saptanmıştır. Histopatolojik incelemede ise serebellar astrositom (pilositik astrositom) ve serebellumda yaygın kanama tespit edilmiştir. Bu tip tümörler genellikle yavaş seyirli, saldırgan olmayan tümörler olarak bilinmesine rağmen, bu olguda tümördeki kanama ani beklenmedik ölüm nedeni olarak karşımıza çıkmıştır.

Ani beklenmedik ölüm sebebi olarak pilositik astrositom: Olgu sunumu

Tumors of the central nervous system are among the rare causes of sudden and unexpected deaths. This case report describes the sudden and unexpected death of an otherwise healthy, 22- year-old male soldier from cerebellar astrocytoma due to hemorrhage in affected cerebellar hemisphere. He was admitted to an emergency room with headache and vomiting, subsequently became unresponsive to external stimuli and spontaneous' respiration ceased. Initial diagnosis was subarachnoidal hemorrhage and encephalitis. After being connected to life support unit in the intensive care unit he was diagnosed as a hematoma in right cerebellar hemisphere. In spite of all efforts in the intensive care unit he was accepted as dead in the third day of admittance. Since he was under military service this case was accepted as forensic case and was sent to the Mortuary Department of Institute of Forensic Medicine of Turkey for autopsy. At autopsy there was no sign of trauma and other changes that might be responsible for death except for the hemorrhage in the right cerebellar hemisphere. Histological examination of the case revealed the diagnosis of cerebellar astrocytoma (pilocytic astrocytoma) and diffuse bleeding in the cerebellar tissue. We concluded that this hemorrhage in the cerebellum created pressure effect on the adjacent vital centers and was responsible for death. Although this tumor type is generally non-aggressive and slowly progressing, in this case it led to the bleeding within the tumor causing sudden unexpected death.

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