Sudden Death associated with Thyrotoxicosis: Report of Three Autopsy Cases

Ju-yeon Kim; Min-jung Kim; Sohyung Park; Hongil Ha

doi:10.7580/kjlm.2013.37.3.167

Journal List > Korean J Leg Med > v.37(3) > 1004709

Go to TopGo to Top Go to BottomGo to Bottom

TOOLS

Kim, Kim, Park, and Ha: Sudden Death associated with Thyrotoxicosis: Report of Three Autopsy Cases

증례보고

Korean J Leg Med 2013;37(3):167-170.

Published online: 17 January 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7580/kjlm.2013.37.3.167

Sudden Death associated with Thyrotoxicosis: Report of Three Autopsy Cases

Ju-yeon Kim¹, Min-jung Kim², Sohyung Park³, Hongil Ha⁴

¹Department of Pathology, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea

²Division of Forensic Medicine, National Forensic Service, Seoul, Korea

³Division of Forensic Medicine, Eastern District Office, National Forensic Service, Wonju-si, Gangwon, Korea

⁴Division of Forensic Medicine, Southern District Office, National Forensic Service, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam, Korea

책임저자 : 하홍일 (626-742) 경상남도 양산시 물금읍 금오 로 50 국립과학수사연구원 남부분원 법의 학과 전화 :+82-55-380-4050 FAX : +82-55-380-4060 E-mail : sanchee@korea.kr

Received 28 July 2013 Revised 14 August 2013 Accepted 23 August 2013

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Thyrotoxicosis (thyroid crisis) is a known cause of sudden death; however, only a few cases of death resulting from thyrotoxicosis have been reported. Histopathologic examination and postmortem thyroid function tests may be helpful in postmortem diagnosis, but their usefulness seems to be limited. We report three autopsy cases associated with thyrotoxicosis.

Keywords: Key Words, Thyrotoxicosis, Sudden death, Thyroid crisis, Autopsy

REFERENCES

1. James JL, Weetman AP. Disorders of the thyroid gland. Longo DL, Fauci AS, Kasper DL, editors. Harrison’ s principles of internal medicine. 18th ed.New York: McGraw-Hill;2011. p. 2911–39.

2. Franklyn JA, Boelaert K. Thyrotoxicosis. Lancet. 2012; 379:1155–66.

3. Salvatore D, Davies TF, Schilumberger M, et al. Thyrotoxicosis. Melmed S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR, editors. Williams textbook of endocrinology. 11th ed.Philadelphia: Elsevier Sauders;2011. p. 362–405.

4. Nakatani Y, Monden T, Sato M, et al. Severe hypoglycemia accompanied with thyroid crisis. Case Rep Endocrinol. 2012 Nov 4. [Epub].http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/168565.

5. Edston E, Druid H, Holmgren P, et al. Postmortem measurements of thyroid hormones in blood and vitreous humor combined with histology. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2001; 22:78–83.

6. Osman F, Franklyn JA, Holder RL, et al. Cardiovascular manifestations of hyperthyroidism before and after antithyroid therapy: a matched case-control study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007; 49:71–81.

7. Eberhart CG, Wiestler OD, Eng C. Cowden disease and dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum/Lhermitte-Duclos disease. Louis DN, Ohgaki H, Wiestler OD, editors. WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System. Lyon: IARC Press;2007. p. 226–8.

8. Kwon TJ, Kim TS, Lee HY, et al. Lhermitte-Duclos disease in a sudden death: an autopsy case. Korean J Pathol. 1994; 28:73–8.

Fig. 1.

(Case 1) The thyroid gland shows relatively symmetric enlargement with soft and meaty parenchyma (a). There are follicles of varying size, lined by tall columnar cells with decrease in the amount of colloid and formation of pseudopapillary structures (b: H & E, × 200).

Fig. 2.

(Case 2) There are diffuse hyperplasia of follicular epithelial cells in thyroid gland (H & E, × 200).

Fig. 3.

(Case 3) The cut surface shows nodules of varying size and a glistening parenchyma. Focal calcifications are seen (a). There are small follicles with scanty colloid lined by low cuboidal cells (b: H & E, × 200).

TOOLS

Similar articles