Unexpected Death in Elephantiasis Due to an Abnormal Life-Style

作者：Sato Hiroaki^*; Tanaka Toshiko; Kasai Kentaro; Kita Toshiro; Tanaka Noriyuki

来源：Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2009, 54(6): 1447-1449.

DOI：10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01146.x

• forensic science
• forensic pathology
• chronic lymph edema
• chronic venous insufficiency
• elephantiasis
• sepsis

A 22-year-old man was found dead after he had continued to sit on a reclining chair for 2 years. He had consumed an unbalanced diet, kept wearing the same pair of socks and never washed himself for the term. His skin of bilateral crura developed into elephantiasis with severely festered ulcers on its surface. At autopsy, subcutaneous edema was significant in his lower limbs, and chronic circulatory disturbance of lymphoducts and veins was observed histologically. There were no crucial findings to account for chronic edema in the lower limbs. It has been reported that maintaining a seated posture obstructs both lymphoducts and veins because of bending the groin, decreases their return flow by inducing muscular atrophy, and causes subcutaneous edema in the lower limbs. Oligotrophia and dirt on his limbs might have exacerbated the chronic edema in elephantiasis. We concluded that a long-term abnormal life-style had caused fatal elephantiasis.

• 出版日期2009-11