A Case of Sudden Death Due To Non Traumatic Acute Subdural Haemorrhage

Abstract

Disease of the cardio vascular system (CVS) is the most common cause (45–50%) of sudden death in an apparently healthy adult followed by respiratory system and central nervous system (CNS). The suspicion of CVS involvement is more intense, if the deceased is obese and the death is immediate. We, in this case report, present a case which had similar pattern of death and thus cardiovascular disease was suspected by both the clinician and the forensic expert. However, on meticulous autopsy, it was concluded to be a case of spontaneous subdural haemorrhage. CNS conditions are the third leading cause of sudden death. The conditions are mostly attributed to cerebral/cerebellar haemorrhage, pontine haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage and thrombotic or embolic or other causes. Spontaneous subdural haemorrhage is a rare condition of sudden death. Subdural haemorrhage (SDH) is mostly traumatic in origin and is a very frequent observation at autopsy centres. This frequent observation may bias the autopsy surgeon, leading to over diagnosis of traumatic SDH, when in actual, it is a spontaneous SDH. This wrong diagnosis can grossly change the further course of events. So, in such suspicious cases, very meticulous observation and careful derivation of opinion is required to avoid confusion and error of diagnosis.