Sudden death of an alcoholic elderly man with acute esophageal necrosis (black esophagus)

Kana Unuma; Kazuki Harada; Takeshi Funakoshi; Koichi Uemura

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2011.05.024

Sudden death of an alcoholic elderly man with acute esophageal necrosis (black esophagus)

Forensic Sci Int. 2011 Oct 10;212(1-3):e15-7. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2011.05.024.

Authors

Kana Unuma¹, Kazuki Harada, Takeshi Funakoshi, Koichi Uemura

Affiliation

¹ Section of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan. unumlegm@tmd.ac.jp

PMID: 21684699
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2011.05.024

Abstract

We report a fatal case of acute esophageal necrosis (black esophagus) in an elderly male with alcohol abuse who was found dead with coffee-ground vomiting. A postmortem examination revealed severe anemia and marked black coloring of the esophagus from the upper to the bottom end. This was accompanied by histologic evidence of extensive mucosal necrosis. Alcohol abuse and esophagitis-related vomiting were both considered to be factors that led to the acute fatal esophageal necrosis. The cause of death was undetermined. We discuss the possible role of acute esophageal necrosis in the cause of sudden death.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Acute Disease
Aged
Alcoholism / complications
Autopsy
Death, Sudden / etiology
Death, Sudden / pathology*
Esophagitis / complications
Esophagitis / pathology*
Forensic Medicine*
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / etiology
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / pathology*
Humans
Male
Necrosis / complications
Necrosis / pathology