Postmortem Intravascular Gas Caused by Antemortem Bacterial Sepsis

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome with fatal outcome: Report on four forensic autopsy cases

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is a severe infection most commonly caused by group A streptococcus. It is clinically characterized by rapidly progressive multiple organ failure and septic shock. This report presents four fatal cases associated with STSS. In two cases (cases 2 and 3), the portals of entry may be ulcer and mucosa at the surgical site; the initial symptoms in these cases included fever. In the other cases, the portal of entry was unknown; the initial symptom was pain. In two cases (cases 1 and 3), malpractice was suspected before autopsy. At autopsy, blood culture was positive for group A streptococcus in all of the present cases. Although C-reactive protein levels were increased, procalcitonin levels were not markedly elevated. This is the first report of autopsy cases associated with STSS in which postmortem computed tomography was performed; the swelling of muscles and increased concentrations of peripheral subcutaneous tissue without gas may be characteristic findings. Histology revealed extensive bacterial colonies and necrosis with mild neutrophilic reaction in two cases (cases 3 and 4), and hemophagocytosis in two cases (cases 1 and 4). It is essential to perform appropriate examinations and make a proper diagnosis because STSS still has a high fatality rate and medical malpractice is often suspected. In addition, it is important to evaluate STSS again for the reduction of the fatal cases associated with STSS.

Postmortem computed tomography of gas gangrene with aortic gas in a dialysis patient

Recently, postmortem imaging is sometimes used as an alternative to conventional autopsy. However, there are few case reports of postmortem imaging of dialysis patients. Here, we report a fatal case of gas gangrene involving a 76-year-old man who underwent dialysis. He died suddenly before a diagnosis could be established. Immediately after his death, postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) revealed gas accumulation in his right upper extremity and ascending aorta. Gas gangrene progresses rapidly and may sometimes result in sudden death before it is diagnosed. In this case, PMCT findings were useful to diagnose gas gangrene. Intravascular gas is a common finding on PMCT and is generally caused by cardiopulmonary resuscitation and decomposition. However, the detection of gas in the ascending aorta by PMCT was not described previously. Moreover, Gram stain and culture of the exudate showed anaerobic Gram-positive bacilli which suggested that the gas generation in the blood was caused by Clostridia species. To the best our knowledge, this is the first report of a dialysis patient whose cause of death was determined as gas gangrene using PMCT.