Electronic Resource
Springer
International journal of legal medicine
112 (1999), S. 368-371
ISSN:
1437-1596
Keywords:
Key words Hydrocution
;
Coxsackie virus infection
;
Myocarditis
;
Reverse-transcriptase-PCR
;
Paraffin-embedded tissue
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
,
Law
Notes:
Abstract An apparently healthy 7-year-old boy attempted to demonstrate his ability to dive into a whirlpool but was retrieved from the water in a state of unconsciousness after several minutes. Resuscitation was unsuccessful. No characteristic signs of drowning were found at the autopsy but examination of the lymph nodes and the cardiac muscle indicated a pre-existent infection. The histological examination revealed a slight degree of predominantly lymphocytic infiltration of the cardiac muscle. IgM antibodies against Coxsackie virus were detected in the serum sample by means of ELISA. The reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) performed on an extract of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cardiac muscle tissue revealed a DNA sequence specific for Coxsackie B3 virus. Therefore, cardiac failure was due to a myocardial virus infection and the additional strain caused by diving. This case report emphasizes the importance of modern molecular biological methods in cases of sudden death including death by hydrocution.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/PL00007706
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