Open AccessSudden death due to medulloblastoma
Author(s) -
Gentian Vyshka,
Elmaz Shaqiri,
Besim Ymaj
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr.10.2009.2378
Subject(s) - medicine , autopsy , medulloblastoma , sudden death , neurology , cause of death , sudden cardiac death , neurosurgery , cardiology , surgery , pathology , disease , psychiatry
Intracranial tumours can be accompanied with intracerebral and intracerebellar non-traumatic haemorrhage; in some cases, this might be their first clinical sign. We report a case of a man who suffered sudden death due to medulloblastoma, with intratumoral haemorrhage; his tumour had a hemispheric cerebellar positioning. The cerebral oedema seen at autopsy reflected the immediate cessation of cerebral vascular circulation, leading to sudden death. Acute obstructive hydrocephaly is a mechanism widely known in the literature for causing sudden death.