SUDDEN UNEXPECTED DEATH DUE TO CEREBELLAR ASTROCYTOMA (PILOCYTIC ASTROCYTOMA): AN AUTOPSY CASE*

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• Cerebellar astrocytoma
• Suddem and unexpected death
• Autopsy

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