NCJ Number
133326
Journal
Japanese Journal of Legal Medicine Volume: 45 Issue: 3 Dated: (June 1991) Pages: 242-254
Date Published
1991
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The hospitalization history and autopsy findings are presented for the case of a 52-year-old male who fell and hit his head on a concrete floor and subsequently developed massive intracerebral and intracerebellar hemorrhages.
Abstract
The victim was hospitalized and remained in a comatose condition until his death on the 11th day. His blood pressure upon admission was 212/110 millimeter (mm) mercury (Hg), and the computed tomography (CT) scan of the head revealed an extensive right subdural hematoma. Intracerebral hemorrhages in the right frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes were evident 10.5 hours after the trauma and intracerebellar hemorrhages 16 hours after the trauma. A 38.5 hour post-trauma CT scan showed little of the hematoma which had been surgically evacuated, but indicated new intracerebral hemorrhage in the left temporal lobe. The victim's blood pressure remained high until the ninth day when it started to decrease. Autopsy findings revealed a bruise in the left occipti, a linear fracture in the frontal and left parietal bones, and a small amount of subdural hematoma on the right cerebral hemisphere. It also demonstrated cortical contusions in the right frontal; temporal, and left parietal lobes, confirmed the presence of intracerebral hemorrhages as well as intracerebellar hemorrhages; and recognized cardiac hypertrophy and atherosclerosis of the aorta. The small hemorrhages that were not evident upon CT scan immediately after injury are thought to have developed into massive hemorrhages from the high blood pressure present during hospitalization. 10 figures and 23 references (Author abstract modified)