Autopsy-based Studies Research Articles

Sport, neurodegenerative illness and the social determinants of health

ABSTRACT This article proposes a Social Determinants of Health framework as a counter to the prominence of bio-determinist tropes in understandings of the relationship between concussion and later life neurodegenerative conditions in athletic populations. It is argued that debates about concussion (or repetitive head impacts) causing CTE have been particularly influenced by broader social trends towards neuro-essentialism. This paradigm reduces complex social behaviour to brain matter and continues to dominate the field despite the recent diversification of evidence from autopsy-based studies of neuropathology to epidemiological studies comparing recorded causes of death among former elite athletes. In contrast, this article explores the ‘causes of causes’ of neurodegenerative conditions. It outlines the ways in which the distinct dynamics of: a) employment, b) education, income and wealth, c) health systems and services, and d) social environment and public safety relate to the specific occupational conditions of elite sport and likely negatively shape health outcomes of athletic populations. The article concludes by arguing that to more effectively address these particular health harms we must move beyond narrow, mono-causal models and evoke a cultural change that extends beyond making rule changes and adjusting psychological attitudes and behavioural norms, to redress the social structural parameters of elite sports participation. The continuation of narrower, neuro-centric and reductionist paradigms obscures the causes of the causes of neurodegenerative decline and limits the scope for change.

Intimate partner femicide (IPF): Medico-legal investigation at the Institutes of Legal Medicine of Freiburg (Germany) and Padova (Italy)

Violence against women is a significant public health concern, with femicide as its most extreme manifestation. This crime is often perpetrated by current or former intimate partners, thus taking the name of intimate partner femicide (IPF). Although international comparisons are essential for prevention policies, cross-country comparative studies are scarce in this context. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare clinical, epidemiological and medico-legal characteristics of IPF autopsy cases investigated at the Institutes of Legal Medicine of two Western European cities, in order to identify a potential medico-legal pattern of IPF. Autopsy and police reports of IPF cases occurred in the judicial district of Freiburg (Germany) and Padova (Italy) from 2000 to 2022 were analyzed. Data relating to victims, perpetrators, relationship context, and circumstantial and pathological-forensic characteristics of the homicide were collected. Statistical analyses were performed to explore potential relationships between the data collected. Additionally, a review of the literature dealing with autopsy-based studies on IPF was performed. Overall, 82 cases of IPF were analyzed, 39 from Freiburg and 43 from Padova. A total of 6 papers fulfilled the review inclusion criteria. Our study identified a medico-legal pattern of IPF and demonstrated that it did not vary substantially between the two European Countries considered, suggesting that certain IPF characteristics are shared at the European level. However, a significant finding emerged regarding the higher prevalence of firearm-related IPFs in Italy compared to Germany. Forensic pathology research might contribute to developing targeted prevention policies to protect women from this lethal form of violence.

The prevalence of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis in forensic autopsies in a teaching hospital in South India.

An autopsy is a valuable tool for finding the cause of death, exploring the clinical diagnosis, documenting unexpected findings, and resolving diagnostic questions. However, this may subject the forensic pathologist and other workers to a wide variety of blood-borne and aerosolized pathogens. Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common cause of illness and death, resulting in infection transmission in the autopsy room. Our objective in this study was to estimate the prevalence of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis among forensic autopsies in a tertiary care hospital in South India. We identified positive TB cases from acid-fast bacteria staining and culture (Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tube and Lowenstein-Jensen medium) out of 380 autopsy cases. The prevalence of tuberculosis was 2.4% (n = 9), among which 2.1% of cases were positive for only pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 8), and 0.3% of cases had both pulmonary and extrapulmonary involvement (n = 1). In the bivariate analysis of TB cases, sex, occupation, family history of TB, habit of smoking, BCG vaccine scar, period of hospital stay, and cause of death were potentially significant. The prevalence of TB in forensic autopsy cases were similar to forensic autopsy-based studies, and it was less as compared to the prevalence of TB in the general population.

“Paraquat Brain”: Have We Researched Enough?

This letter examines the potential relationship between the highly toxic herbicide paraquat (PQ) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite animal studies implicating PQ as a causative factor for PD, the evidence is insufficient due to limited human research on this topic. There is a pressing need for human autopsy-based studies in PQ poisoning fatalities to comprehend paraquat's neuropathology. Further studies are crucial to assess the morbidity in paraquat poisoning survivors, potentially shedding light on clinical links with PD. Although current research hasn't definitively established a causal connection, the absence of evidence shouldn't discourage ongoing investigation. The pursuit of understanding the PQ-PD connection necessitates unwavering commitment from the scientific community.

High-throughput digital quantification of Alzheimer disease pathology and associated infrastructure in large autopsy studies.

High-throughput digital pathology offers considerable advantages over traditional semiquantitative and manual methods of counting pathology. We used brain tissue from 5 clinical-pathologic cohort studies of aging; the Religious Orders Study, the Rush Memory and Aging Project, the Minority Aging Research Study, the African American Clinical Core, and the Latino Core to (1) develop a workflow management system for digital pathology processes, (2) optimize digital algorithms to quantify Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology, and (3) harmonize data statistically. Data from digital algorithms for the quantification of β-amyloid (Aβ, n = 413) whole slide images and tau-tangles (n = 639) were highly correlated with manual pathology data (r = 0.83 to 0.94). Measures were robust and reproducible across different magnifications and repeated scans. Digital measures for Aβ and tau-tangles across multiple brain regions reproduced established patterns of correlations, even when samples were stratified by clinical diagnosis. Finally, we harmonized newly generated digital measures with historical measures across multiple large autopsy-based studies. We describe a multidisciplinary approach to develop a digital pathology pipeline that reproducibly identifies AD neuropathologies, Aβ load, and tau-tangles. Digital pathology is a powerful tool that can overcome critical challenges associated with traditional microscopy methods.

The neuropathological landscape of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White decedents with Alzheimer disease

Despite the increasing demographic diversity of the United States’ aging population, there remain significant gaps in post-mortem research investigating the ethnoracial heterogeneity in the neuropathological landscape of Alzheimer Disease (AD). Most autopsy-based studies have focused on cohorts of non-Hispanic White decedents (NHWD), with few studies including Hispanic decedents (HD). We aimed to characterize the neuropathologic landscape of AD in NHWD (n = 185) and HD (n = 92) evaluated in research programs across three institutions: University of California San Diego, University of California Davis, and Columbia University. Only persons with a neuropathologic diagnosis of intermediate/high AD determined by NIA Reagan and/or NIA-AA criteria were included. A frequency-balanced random sample without replacement was drawn from the NHWD group using a 2:1 age and sex matching scheme with HD. Four brain areas were evaluated: posterior hippocampus, frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices. Sections were stained with antibodies against Aβ (4G8) and phosphorylated tau (AT8). We compared the distribution and semi-quantitative densities for neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), neuropil threads, core, diffuse, and neuritic plaques. All evaluations were conducted by an expert blinded to demographics and group status. Wilcoxon’s two-sample test revealed higher levels of neuritic plaques in the frontal cortex (p = 0.02) and neuropil threads (p = 0.02) in HD, and higher levels of cored plaques in the temporal cortex in NHWD (p = 0.02). Results from ordinal logistic regression controlling for age, sex, and site of origin were similar. In other evaluated brain regions, semi-quantitative scores of plaques, tangles, and threads did not differ statistically between groups. Our results demonstrate HD may be disproportionately burdened by AD-related pathologies in select anatomic regions, particularly tau deposits. Further research is warranted to understand the contributions of demographic, genetic, and environmental factors to heterogeneous pathological presentations.

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: Investigation of autopsy-based studies.

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is one of the most common causes for epilepsy-related deaths and its characteristics remain largely unknown, particularly from a forensic autopsy perspective. The present study aimed to investigate the neurological, cardiac, and pulmonary findings for a total of 388 SUDEP decedents, encompassing three cases from our forensic center during 2011-2020 and 385 literature-reported autopsy cases. In the cases mentioned in this study, two of them presented with only mild cardiac abnormalities, such as focal myocarditis and mild coronary atherosclerosis of the left anterior coronary artery. The third one was negative of any pathological findings. After pooling together these SUDEP cases, we found that neurological changes (n = 218 cases, 56.2%) were the most common postmortem findings associated with SUDEP, with cerebral edema/congestion (n = 60 cases, 15.5%) and old traumatic brain injury (n = 58 cases, 14.9%) being the major findings. Interstitial fibrosis, myocyte disarray/hypertrophy, and mild coronary artery atherosclerosis were the most common findings related to primary cardiac pathology, documented in 49 (12.6%), 18 (4.6%), and 15 (3.9%) cases, respectively. Non-specific pulmonary edema was the major finding in the lungs. This is an autopsy-based study that reports the scenario of postmortem findings for SUDEP cases. Our study paves the way for understanding the pathogenesis of SUDEP and the interpretation of death.

Study of Gastrointestinal Causes of Death: A 5-Year Autopsy Based Study

Introduction: Gastrointestinal disorders (GI) including hepatobiliary-pancreatic (HBP) diseases are a cause for significant morbidity and mortality. Mortality due to nonmalignant disorders are often diagnosed but are less studied. Limited autopsy-based studies have been conducted on gastrointestinal causes of death despite gastrointestinal and hepato-biliary-pancreatic diseases being one of the important causes for morbidity and mortality. Autopsy is still considered a valuable tool in reliably determining the underlying pathology and cause of death. This study of gastrointestinal causes of death was conducted to evaluate and understand its impact. Methods: This is a 5-year retrospective autopsy-based study for the period August 2016 to July 2021. Data was collected from autopsy request forms, patients’ hospital records and autopsy reports, which included age, gender, ethnicity, salient clinical features, key autopsy findings and the cause of death. Results: During the 5-year period, a total of 3435 autopsies were performed, out of which 294 cases were found to have gastrointestinal-hepato-biliarypancreatic (GIHBP) disorders as the cause of death, contributing to 8.6%. This accounts for the third leading cause of death. The main causes of death were gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) (26%), perforation of a viscus organ and peritonitis (23%), hepato-biliary-pancreatic disease (17%), ischemic bowel changes (13.6%), neoplastic disease (11.6%) and others. Majority of patients were males and of African ethnicity. Patients aged above 40 years accounted for 83% of the deaths. Abdominal pain was the most common presenting symptom. Three leading autopsy findings include gastrointestinal bleeding, ascites, perforation and peritonitis. Conclusion: GIHBP disorders are the third leading cause of death. GI bleeding, non-traumatic perforation and peritonitis are identified as significant mechanisms of death. Autopsy still plays an important role in reliably determining the cause of death. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate management may decrease mortality. This study augments the limited body of literature and provides insight into gastrointestinal causes of death.

Venous Thromboembolism and COVID-19-an Epidemiological Perspective.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared as pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. The outbreak has caused 5,232,562 deaths worldwide until December 3rd, 2021. Though primarily affecting the respiratory system, involvement of other organ systems have been reported in severe disease. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been recognized as an important complication. Previous studies have reported the prevalence of VTE in intensive care unit (ICU) patients between 7 and 85% and in non-ICU patients between 0 and 19%. COVID-19 patients that are at high risk for VTE are also at increased risk for bleeding. In such cases, anticoagulation may potentially be harmful. Thereby, it is important to understand the risk factors for VTE predisposition in the COVID-19 patients, timing of VTE, and the rate of occurrence of VTE in hospitalized patients post-discharge. Comparison of the rate of occurrence of VTE in COVID-19 patients with the non-COVID-19 patients with similar disease severity is required to truly interpret the reportedly high rates of VTE in COVID-19 patients. Several pathophysiological mechanisms have been reported for the development of VTE in COVID-19. Autopsy-based studies have contributed to the existing knowledge. d-dimer, presently, seems to be the most suitable investigation for risk-identification of VTE supported by Doppler studies and overall clinical context. Further, prospective studies and clinical trials are essentially required to fill the gaps in evidence for occurrence, risk prediction and management of VTE in COVID-19 patients.

MO050: The First Report from the National COVID-19 Autopsy Registry in Germany

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Autopsies are an invaluable tool in medicine for studying the pathophysiology of diseases, including kidney diseases and causes of death. To facilitate multicenter autopsy-based studies and to provide a single point of contact for data analysis and reporting, the German COVID-19 Autopsy Registry (DeRegCOVID) was launched in April 2020 to uncover effects on pulmonary (micro)vasculature, systemic viral spread including the kidneys or interaction with the immune system. METHOD The electronic registry uses a web-based electronic data collection system. Participation is voluntary and biomaterial remains at each site (decentralized biobanking). As of October 2021, the registry included N = 1129 autopsy cases with 69 271 individual data points containing information on 18 674 available biospecimens, including kidneys as part of the standard sampling protocol, collected at 29 German sites. RESULTS In the N = 1095 eligible records, the male-to-female ratio was 1–8:1, with peaks at 65–69 and 80–84 years in men and >85 years in women. Analysis of the chain of events leading directly to death showed that in 86% of autopsy cases, COVID-19 was the actual cause of death, whereas in 14% of cases, COVID-19 was a concomitant disease. The most common immediate cause of death was diffuse alveolar injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome, followed by multiorgan failure, including the kidneys. The registry supports several scientific projects, informs the public and provides reports to federal health authorities, which led to a change in the German Infection Protection Act and facilitated autopsies during pandemics. CONCLUSION A national autopsy registry can provide multicenter quantitative information on COVID-19 deaths at the national level to support medical research, policy decisions and public discussions. Previous and ongoing studies also showed the potential of autopsies for nephrology research.

COVID-19 Autopsy in India: Protocols, Procedures, and Experiences.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has besieged mankind because of its novelty, causing a global health crisis. The autopsy-based studies provide a crucial role in understanding the pathophysiology and the behavior of the disease. But there is a paucity of such studies in the world especially so from developing nations. Conducting a complete autopsy on infectious bodies like COVID-19 requires conducive infrastructural setup and protocols suited to the needs, and precautions are to be taken meticulously.Methods: A complete pathological autopsy was conducted on a known case of a COVID-19-hospitalized patient, who died in our institution, with the aim to look for histopathological changes in each organ and to compare these findings with clinical findings such as duration of hospitalization, mechanical ventilation, comorbidities, biochemical parameters, and the result of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the tissues. The complete autopsy was performed after obtaining consent from the family, and the study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee. Histopathological examination (HPE) and RT-PCR were conducted on the tissue collected during autopsy. Clinical and biomedical data were collected and correlated.Result: The written informed consent from the family could be obtained in only 15.3% of cases, which was a limiting factor. The post-mortem interval ranged from 3.5 to 19.5 hours. The gross findings revealed pathologic features of viral infection as well as existing comorbidities in all the organs. The development of protocols and new innovations to limit the spread of infection, taking into consideration the limited facilities, which are described in this article, resulted in the successful completion of all the autopsies with a good sample collection, and nobody in the autopsy team was tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).Conclusions: The experience gained from these 21 COVID-19 autopsies helps to outline the basic or minimal requirements for conducting autopsies in highly infectious cases even in not-so-ideal conditions and also provides guidelines to be used while conducting such autopsies, especially in developing countries.

Epidemiology of Football-Related Sudden Cardiac Death in Turkey

Background and Objectives: Sudden cardiac death (SCD), particular among elite footballers, has attracted much attention in recent times. However, limited information exists on football-related SCD in Turkey. Autopsy-based studies of sports-related sudden deaths in Turkey are rare and often have small sample sizes. To address this, this study aimed to determine the population-based incidence and profile of football-related SCD nationally in Turkey. Materials and Methods: Due to a lack of national data on this issue, football-related SCD (non-elite competitive or recreational football) between 1 January 2011, and 31 December 2019 were identified by dual, independent identification and screening of online media reports. Deaths were explored by sex, age group, season, and phase of exercise. Descriptive statistics were utilised. Age-specific mortality rates and proportional mortality rates were calculated. Results: In total, 118 football-related SCD were identified, a crude mortality rate of 0.41 per 100,000 population. All fatalities were males and the mean age was 35.5 years ± 10.4. Those aged 40–49 years recorded the highest mortality rate (0.67/100,000), three times the risk of those aged 50–59 years (RR = 3.1; 95%CI:1.5–6.4). Those aged 30–39 recorded the highest age-specific proportional mortality rate (0.86/1000 deaths). The highest risk occurred while playing football (n = 97; 82.2%), with another 15% of deaths (n = 18) occurring within 1 h of play. Almost all fatalities (n = 113; 95.8%) occurred during participation in recreational football. Conclusions: This study has identified football-related SCD most commonly occurs during recreational football among males aged 30–49 years. It is recommended males of this age participating in recreational football be encouraged to seek pre-participation heart health checks. Given the value of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in responding to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, future research should explore the feasibility and effectiveness of AEDs in preventing football-related SCD in Turkey including training of first responders in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and AED use.

Nonskeletal injuries related to cardiopulmonary resuscitation: An autopsy study.

The current standard technique for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), initially described in the early 1960s, has quickly become the expected response for all persons found without a pulse or respiration. Despite the potentially lifesaving properties of external cardiac massage, the mainstay of resuscitation, it consists of repeated blunt force trauma to the chest, which can lead to extensive traumatic skeletal and nonskeletal injuries. Numerous autopsy-based studies have documented the incidence and patterns of rib and sternal fractures associated with attempted CPR, but there is relatively little data on the incidence and severity of nonskeletal CPR-related injuries. We reviewed reports from 1878 autopsies performed between September 2017 and December 2019 (inclusive), for documentation of CPR-related injuries. Among these cases, there were 93 cases with resuscitation-related nonskeletal injuries. The most common type of injury identified were visceral contusions, documented in 57.0% of cases. These contusions predominantly involved the heart, lungs, neck soft tissue, and surrounding structures. Resuscitation-related lacerations were seen in 17.2% of the cases, most predominantly involving the pericardium, heart, and liver. Statistical analysis of the data demonstrated that lacerations were more likely to be seen in females and with associated sternal fractures. Additionally, hemothoraces were present in 34.4% of cases and hemopericardium was seen in 8.6% of cases. This study provides additional documentation of the range, severity, and incidence of various types of resuscitation-related visceral injuries to better assist autopsy pathologists in distinguishing these injuries from other antecedent traumatic injuries.

S2632 A Rare Case of Spontaneous Intracranial Hemorrhage in a Young Female With Alcoholic Liver Disease

INTRODUCTION: Coagulopathy is an established manifestation of hepatic dysfunction that could lead to an increased risk of bleeding. However, it is unclear if underlying liver disease predisposes to the development of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage. Only very few cases have described this unique presentation. In this report, we describe a case of a 27-year-old female presenting with features of decompensated alcoholic liver disease with computerized tomography of the head (CT) findings of intracranial hemorrhage. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 27-year-old African-American female presented to the ED with non-bloody and non-bilious emesis. Her social history was significant for alcohol abuse. Notable findings on physical exam included scleral icterus and abdominal distension with hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory report showed (Hb/HCT 6 g/dL/17.5%), acute kidney injury (BUN/Cr 20/4.46 mg/dl), lactic acidosis (4.4 mmol/L), elevated alkaline phosphatase (256 U/L), elevated transaminases (ALT/AST 34/263 U/L), and coagulopathy (INR 2.69). Abdomen ultrasound revealed hepatosplenomegaly with fatty infiltration and sludge in the gallbladder. CT Chest/Abdomen/Pelvis showed marked hepatic steatosis. She was subsequently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. The patient was transfused with packed red blood cells, administered intravenous fluids, and antibiotics. On the first day of admission, a CT Head without contrast was obtained for a change in mental status, which showed a 17 mm × 13 mm x 10 mm intracranial hemorrhage in the inferior right frontal. Repeat CT Head performed after 24 hours showed an increase in the size of the intracranial hemorrhage. The patient subsequently was intubated for airway protection. She continued to have poor prognosis throughout the hospital stay, complicated by worsening hypotension, requiring full pressor support and she expired on hospital day 10. DISCUSSION: Several retrospective and autopsy-based studies have shown conflicting data on the association between hepatic dysfunction and the development of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage in the presence of coagulopathy. Our case highlights the need for high suspicion of intracranial hemorrhage in the setting of severe hepatic dysfunction in patients with persistently altered mental status without another plausible etiology.Figure 1.: Intracranial hemorrhage in the inferior right frontal lobe.Figure 2.: Repeat CT head showing worsening of intracranial bleed.

In vivo imaging of synaptic loss in Alzheimer’s disease with [18F]UCB-H positron emission tomography

Loss of brain synapses is an early pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease. The current study assessed synaptic loss in vivo with positron emission tomography and an 18F-labelled radiotracer of the synaptic vesicle protein 2A, [18F]UCB-H. Twenty-four patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease and positive [18F]Flutemetamol amyloid-PET were compared to 19 healthy controls. [18F]UCB-H brain uptake was quantified with Logan graphical analysis using an image-derived blood input function. SPM12 and regions-of-interest (ROI) analyses were used for group comparisons of regional brain distribution volumes and for correlation with cognitive measures. A significant decrease of [18F]UCB-H uptake was observed in several cortical areas (11 to 18% difference) and in the thalamus (16% difference), with the largest effect size in the hippocampus (31% difference). Reduced hippocampal uptake was related to patients' cognitive decline (ROI analysis) and unawareness of memory problems (SPM and ROI analyses). The findings thus highlight predominant synaptic loss in the hippocampus, confirming previous autopsy-based studies and a recent PET study with an 11C-labelled SV2A radiotracer. [18F]UCB-H PET allows to image in vivo synaptic changes in Alzheimer's disease and to relate them to patients' cognitive impairment.

Traumatic blunt cardiac injuries: An updated narrative review.

Blunt cardiac injury (BCI) is defined as injuries sustained due to blunt trauma to the heart, and it remains unchanged for long time. The spectrum of BCI ranges from a minor “bruise” to specific postcontusion cardiac conditions such as free-wall rupture. This is a narrative review provides a continued and updates details regarding BCIs from 2008 to 2017. For this purpose, a narrative review of literature was conducted using appropriate database for retrieval of articles through systematic search methodology. Autopsy-based studies are very limited. It can be concluded that regardless of the variability in the spectrum of modalities and medical/surgical resources, BCIs diagnosis and management remain a puzzle and needs further prospective studies.

Frequency and influencing factors of cardiopulmonary resuscitation-related injuries during implementation of the American Heart Association 2010 Guidelines: a retrospective study based on autopsy and postmortem computed tomography

To determine the frequency of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)-related injuries and factors involved in their occurrence, data based on forensic autopsy and postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) during implementation of the 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR were studied. We retrospectively evaluated data on adult patients with non-traumatic deaths who had undergone manual CPR and autopsy from January 2012 to December 2014. CPR-related injuries were analyzed on autopsy records and PMCT images and compared with results of previous studies. In total, 180 consecutive cases were analyzed. Rib fractures and sternal fractures were most frequent (overall frequency, 66.1 and 52.8%, respectively), followed by heart injuries (12.8%) and abdominal visceral injuries (2.2%). Urgently life-threatening injuries were rare (2.8%). Older age was an independent risk factor for rib fracture [adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.08; p<0.001], ≥3 rib fractures (AOR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.09; p=0.002), and sternal fracture (AOR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05; p<0.001). Female sex was significantly associated with sternal fracture (AOR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.02-4.25; p=0.04). Chest compression only by laypersons was inversely associated with rib and sternal fractures. Body mass index and in-hospital cardiac arrest were not significantly associated with any complications. The frequency of thoracic skeletal injuries was similar to that in recent autopsy-based studies. Implementation of the 2010 Guidelines had little impact on the frequency of CPR-related thoracic skeletal injuries or urgently life-threatening complications. Older age was the only independent factor related to thoracic skeletal injuries.

Splenic abscess in an immunocompetent adult

Abscess of the spleen is, a rare clinical entity with about 600 cases documented to date, and an incidence of 0.2 to 0.7% in autopsy-based studies [1,2]. Because of its nonspecific clinical picture, splenic abscess constitutes a diagnostic challenge, but it should be suspected in febrile patients with left upper quadrant tenderness and leucocytosis. The diagnosis is based mainly on imaging studies, microbiological and/or histopathological evidence, or by response to antibiotic or antifungal treatment.

Locally advanced colon cancer with cutaneous invasion: case report

BackgroundLocally advanced colon cancer with direct abdominal wall and skin invasion is an extremely rare finding with most data being derived from case reports, historical autopsy-based or single-center retrospective studies. We present a unique case of a colon cancer with direct cutaneous invasion and colocutaneous fistulization.Case presentationEighty-six year old Caucasian female with multiple comorbidities, referred to Surgical Consultation due to ulcerated skin lesion in the abdomen. She had a long-standing large umbilical hernia but with no previous episodes of incarceration or occlusive symptoms. She denied any digestive or constitutional symptoms. Physical examination showed a large non-reducible umbilical hernia, with an associated painless firm mass within the hernia sac and cutaneous ulcerated growth. Colonoscopy revealed transverse colon cancer (endoscopic biopsy of the tumor and skin punch biopsy confirmed adenocarcinoma of the colon). Computed tomography showed a tumoral mass within the umbilical hernia, with cutaneous infiltration and enlarged regional lymph nodes. Rapid local progression led to colocutaneous fistula with total fecal diversion. We performed an extended right hemicolectomy with en bloc excision of the hernia sac and infiltrating cutaneous mass.ConclusionsIn the current era of widespread use of screening colonoscopies, initial diagnosis of locally advanced colon cancer is decreasing. However, this unique case presented an opportunity to recall the advantages of multivisceral resections.

Percutaneous drainage of splenic abscess in a renal transplant recipient – A case report

Splenic abscess is a rare clinical entity with an incidence of 0.2–0.7% in autopsy-based studies.1,2 Moreover, abscess of the spleen is a very rare entity in post-renal transplant recipients. We encountered a rare case of this life-threatening infection in a 32-year-old gentleman who had undergone live related renal transplant 8 months ago. He presented with fever, malaise, left upper quadrant pain and non-productive cough. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest taken to assess the lower chest signs and ultrasound abdomen taken to assess the left upper quadrant pain revealed a large thick walled abscess (8cm×7cm×7.5cm) in the spleen. He made a complete recovery after percutaneous pig tail catheter drainage of splenic abscess and intravenous antibiotics for 3 weeks.