38304 - Disease, Indigestion, Murder: the Perennial Elusiveness of Sudden Death- 3Cfu

Learning outcomes

sudden and unespected death is a common event in medical practice. nevertheless, too many practitioners exhibit a very crass attitude to this very puzzling event and avoid requesting autopsy. this class would like very much to appear as a 'manifesto' of autopsy practice. autopsy is a neglected diagnostic tool. nevertheless, it appears to be the only tool available to explain death when it appears too suddenly, despite of the sophisticated techniques available.
the recently emerging infectious diseases often with a global pattern and the unpredictable changes in classical infectious diseases such as tuberculosis confirm autopsy as a reliable epidemiological tool

Course contents

error in medical practice; concept of sudden and unexpected death; true and false myocardial infarctions; diffuse alveolar damage and related events; paraquat poisoning; patterns of uremia; chronic pyelonephritis: an elusive entity; haemolytic uraemic syndrome: an epidemic; malicious opportunists: toxoplasma & cytomegalovirus; sudden death in alcoholics: unexpected brain lesions; the neck, a poorly explored region in sudden death: minimal changes in the large blood vessels; foreign bodies in the upper respiratory tract; anomalous hanging; traumatic pathology of the head; subdural hematoma: a conundrum; child- and old people-abusing: pathologic cues: the paramount importance of an accurate external examination of the corpse.
the collapse of state organization and the return of macroparasites
the early autopsy: the 20-minutes ekg - molecular pathology - emerging infectious disease
sudden cardiac death in fetus: the correct inspection of ductus arteriosus:
massive digestive hemorrhage: identification of ruptured esophageal varices
prevention of pulmonary infarction and embolism: a very hot forensic argument
infectious nightmares: tb, poliomyelitis, malaria (black water syndrome), aids. predictable tragedies in infectious mononucleosis
sudden death in low respiratory tract infection, asthma and cystic fibrosis
a case of myasthenia gravis: stressing the importance of a correct approach to the relatives of the deceased
failure in autopsy diagnosis of pneumonia: an unexpectedly frequent event
arterial aneurysms: a persistent threat
myocarditis: an unpredictable event
myocardiopathy in the 21th century
amyloidosis: a puzzling case
proteus: the SLE
Chagas' disease: a planetary myocarditis
the correct inspection of coronary arteries
the difficult investigation of early myocardial infarction (a short history): useful methods and rubbish
toxic and dietary cardiomyopathy
myocytolysis and sudden myocardial death: dream or reality? myocardial metastasis: an emerging cause of sudden death
fright as a cause of death
very early brain lesions in sudden death
vampires & C: a popular interpretation of sudden death; the discovery of post-mortal changes and the birth of modern autopsy; autopsy in Italy
concept of clinical autopsy
patterns of sudden death
suspect death: when forensic autopsy emerges
toxicology: the importance of correct blood samples; false suicides; environmental artifacts and false murders
sudden death & neoplasia: leukemia, lung metastases, hepatocarcinoma; brain tumors; gliomatosis cerebri
environmental disease: radioactive minerals. the long argument about radon. epidemiology: a very upsetting task
autopsy report and diagnosis: the puzzle of the cause of death
autopsy archives, museums; the pathology museum of Bologna

Readings/Bibliography

scarani p, eusebi v.: la morte improvvisa e inaspettata- esculapio 2006

Teaching methods

words

Assessment methods

on the spot

Teaching tools

words

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Scarani