%0 Journal Article
%T An atypical case of fatal 'esophageal apoplexy': post-mortem findings and differential diagnosis.
%A de Boer HH
%A O'Donnell C
%J Int J Legal Med
%V 0
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 27
%M 38926244
%F 2.791
%R 10.1007/s00414-024-03280-6
%X Forensic pathologists need to have comprehensive knowledge of a large variety of causes of sudden natural death. We describe a case of sudden and unexpected death in woman in her sixties due to rupture of a large paraesophageal hematoma. The post-mortem examination and differential diagnosis are discussed. The combined findings of whole-body post-mortem CT imaging (PMCT), targeted PMCT angiography, autopsy, and histology are most in keeping with 'esophageal apoplexy'; a rare cause of hemorrhage in the esophageal wall. A review of the literature indicates that most cases of esophageal apoplexy are self-limiting and that fatal complications are exceedingly rare. Our case demonstrates that esophageal apoplexy can present as sudden unexpected death.