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A case of fatal arsenic poisoning

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Abstract

We describe a case of poisoning by arsenic trioxide of a young man found dead at home. There were no obvious external signs of arsenic poisoning; but we observed marked endocardial hemorrhages, hepatomegaly, diffuse gastric mucosal hemorrhages, and slight brain edema at autopsy. The Reinsch test for the stomach contents and liver homogenate was positive for arsenic. Wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry combined with the Reinsch test showed that fatal levels of arsenic were present in blood and tissues. The cause of death was diagnosed as circulatory collapse caused by arsenic trioxide.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Legal Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kohasu, Oko-cho, Nankoku City, Kochi, 783-8505, Japan

    Fumio Moriya, Junichi Furumiya & Yoshiaki Hashimoto

Authors
  1. Fumio Moriya
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  2. Junichi Furumiya
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  3. Yoshiaki Hashimoto
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Correspondence to Fumio Moriya.

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Moriya, F., Furumiya, J. & Hashimoto, Y. A case of fatal arsenic poisoning. Forensic Toxicol 24, 88–91 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-006-0015-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-006-0015-1

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