Autopsy results of a case of ingestion of sodium hydroxide solution

Sodium hydroxide is a strongly corrosive alkali. We describe herein a case of suicide by ingestion of sodium hydroxide. A man in his 80s was found dead with a mug and a bottle of caustic soda. Macroscopically, liquefaction and/or disappearance of esophagus, trachea and lung tissue and a grayish disc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Toxicologic Pathology 2015, Vol.29(1), pp.45-47
Main Authors: Emoto, Yuko, Yoshizawa, Katsuhiko, Shikata, Nobuaki, Tsubura, Airo, Nagasaki, Yasushi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autopsies
Autopsy
Case Report
Caustic soda
chemical burn
Coloration
Discoloration
Esophagus
Gastrointestinal tract
histopathology
Ingestion
Irritation
Liquefaction
Lungs
Mucosa
Oral cavity
Organs
pH effects
Skin
Sodium
Sodium hydroxide
Stomach
Suicide
Trachea
Vasodilation
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Description
Summary:Sodium hydroxide is a strongly corrosive alkali. We describe herein a case of suicide by ingestion of sodium hydroxide. A man in his 80s was found dead with a mug and a bottle of caustic soda. Macroscopically, liquefaction and/or disappearance of esophagus, trachea and lung tissue and a grayish discoloration of the mucosa of the stomach were seen along with blackish brown coloration of the skin, mouth, and oral cavity. The contents of the gastrointestinal tract showed a pH level of 7–8 on pH indicator strips. Histopathologically, liquefactive necrosis of remnant lung tissue and the stomach were seen. As biological reactions such as vasodilatation and inflammation were not detected in these organs, only a short number of hours must have passed between ingestion and death. This human case provides valuable information concerning the direct irritation induced by systemic exposure to corrosive substances.
ISSN:0914-9198
1881-915X
1347-7404
DOI:10.1293/tox.2015-0049