Postobstructive pulmonary edema is a life-threatening complication that occurs after the removal of severe upper airway obstruction. Development of postobstructive pulmonary edema has been described after several cases of upper airway obstruction. However, postobstructive pulmonary edema developing after non-lethal hanging has not been reported widely in the literature. Herein, we describe a fatal case of postobstructive pulmonary edema in a 10-year-old girl, which was brought to the hospital with history of attempted suicide by hanging. At presentation, the girl was breathing laboriously. The oxygen saturation was of 82% and pulmonary auscultation revealed bilateral and diffuse crepitations. The chest computed tomographic scan showed bilateral diffuse infiltrates consistent with pulmonary edema. After 3 days of hospitalization, the respiratory state of the girl worsened leading to death despite intensive care. An autopsy was conducted and confirmed the diffuse pulmonary edema. Hence, this case confirms that delayed death in near hanging may occur. Pulmonary edema which develops subsequently in such patients is an uncommon mechanism of death that physicians should consider in emergency room.

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Ventricular non-compaction (VNC) is a rare myocardium disorder, which can be both genetic and sporadic. A poor wall compaction process or an excessive trabeculae formation may be at the genesis of myocardial hypertrabeculation with multiple recesses. It is often complicated by ventricular dysfunction, arrhythmias and cardiac embolism. Herein we report a case of a 20-year-old male patient with no particular past medical history who was followed up at the cardiology department for dyspnea. Echocardiography showed reduced ejection fraction of the left ventricle with potential hypertrabeculation in the right ventricle, confirmed by cardiac MRI. The patient was not put under medication and was later lost to follow-up. He died few months later without a clear cause explaining death. A forensic autopsy was performed that attributed death to acute ventricle arrhythmia secondary to VNC, emphasizing the major role of an early and specific treatment to avoid such a fatal outcome.

Ventricular non-compaction (VNC) is a rare myocardium disorder, which can be both genetic and sporadic. A poor wall compaction process or an excessive trabeculae formation may be at the genesis of myocardial hypertrabeculation with multiple recesses. It is often complicated by ventricular dysfunction, arrhythmias and cardiac embolism. Herein we report a case of a 20-year-old male patient with no particular past medical history who was followed up at the cardiology department for dyspnea. Echocardiography showed reduced ejection fraction of the left ventricle with potential hypertrabeculation in the right ventricle, confirmed by cardiac MRI. The patient was not put under medication and was later lost to follow-up. He died few months later without a clear cause explaining death. A forensic autopsy was performed that attributed death to acute ventricle arrhythmia secondary to VNC, emphasizing the major role of an early and specific treatment to avoid such a fatal outcome.

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Discovery of bruises in the muscles of the neck and a fracture of the hyoid bone in a body recovered from water makes the diagnosis and the determination of the manner of death difficult.The aims of this work are to report a case of a drowned body with cervical injuries and to highlight the importance of interpreting these findings accurately.A 39-year-old woman was found dead face down in a 6-m deep well with a 3-m water level. She was mentally disturbed and had a history of suicide attempts. In fact, she had previously attempted to jump into that well in an attempt to put an end to her life. The autopsy revealed bruises in the muscles of the neck and a bruise associated with a fracture of the left horn of the hyoid bone.The mechanism for the origin of drowning-related neck injuries will be discussed.

Echinococcosis, also known as hydatid disease, is a common parasitic human infestation found in sheep-breeding areas. It is caused by the larvae stage of Echinococcus granulosus, and cysts develop mostly in the lungs and the liver. Cardiac involvement is unusual and silent until acute complications or a fatal outcome occurs. Herein, we report an autopsy case of a young healthy adult who died suddenly. The autopsy revealed an external bulging on the right heart ventricle outlet with a fluid-filled cystic cavity discovered on sectioning. Dissection of other organs did not reveal other cyst locations. Histological examination ascertained the diagnosis of hydatid cyst, and death was attributed to cardiac arrhythmias. Pathologists should keep in mind that hydatid cysts can develop anywhere in the body. Solitary cardiac cyst is rare and can simulate a “silent bomb”. Unfortunately, sudden death remains the frequent manner of revelation of this disease in endemic areas.

The diagnosis of aortic dissection is often difficult because the symptoms are usually non‐specific. AD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all cases of idiopathic retrosternal pain. Misdiagnosis of AD is a common cause of legal suits in medical practice. Prevention requires a complete and thorough evaluation.