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Globus Pallidus Necrosis Unrelated to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Retrospective Analysis of 27 Cases of Basal Ganglia Necrosis
Author(s) -
Yarid Nicole A.,
Harruff Richard C.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.12838
Subject(s) - globus pallidus , carbon monoxide poisoning , basal ganglia , medicine , necrosis , pathology , poison control , central nervous system , medical emergency
Bilateral globus pallidus necrosis is said to be characteristic of carbon monoxide ( CO ) poisoning. However, there has been no scientific test of this hypothesis. To examine the assertion that globus pallidus necrosis is typical of CO poisoning, this study examined autopsy cases from the King County Medical Examiner's Office ( KCMEO ) between 1994 and 2013. Twenty‐seven cases with bilateral basal ganglia lesions were identified and examined for associated or causative disease or injury with the following results: 10 cases of drug overdose, seven heart disease, three asphyxia, two chronic ethanolism, two Huntington‐like disorder, and one case each of remote trauma, rheumatic heart disease, and cerebral artery gas embolism. Additionally, review of all known cases at KCMEO of CO poisoning found no evidence of globus pallidus or basal ganglia necrosis. Thus, this study provides no support for the assertion that globus pallidus necrosis is characteristic of CO poisoning.