Abstract

BIRITXINAGA, B.; QUEREJETA, L.M.; MORENTIN, B.  and  ARNAIZ, J.F.. Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor: a case of sudden death in a young epileptic patient. Cuad. med. forense [online]. 2010, vol.16, n.4, pp.231-233. ISSN 1988-611X.

Sudden deaths due to intracranial tumors that have not been diagnosed in life are very rare. In this paper we present the case of a young patient who died during sleep. The only medical antecedent was drug-resistant epilepsy suffered since childhood. Neuroimage techniques did not show any alteration prior to death. The autopsy showed in the cerebral cortex of the left parietal lobe the presence of a tumor of 0.5 x 1 cm without mass effect. In view of the findings of histopathological and immunohistochemical studies a diagnosis of dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT) simple was made. The cause of sudden death was attributed to an organic seizure disorder secondary to the tumor. DNT is very infrequent (0.2-1% of brain tumors) and it is usually associated with drug-resistant seizures. This case demonstrates that in the investigation of sudden unexplained death associated to epilepsy is crucial to perform a medico-legal autopsy in order to confirm the cause and the risk factors related to epilepsy and death.

Keywords : Autopsy; Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumor; Epilepsy; Forensic Pathology; Suden Death.

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