A LETHAL DRIPPING FROM THE NECK: A CASE REPORT AND MINI REVIEW

GIUSEPPE BERTOZZI¹, BENEDETTA DI BATTISTA¹, ORAZIO CASCIO², GIUSEPPE DAVIDE ALBANO¹, ANGELO MONTANA², FRANCESCA MAGLIETTA², LUIGI CIPOLLONI³, VINCENZO MONDA⁴, ANTONIETTA MESSINA⁴, MONICA SALERNO¹

¹Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Forensic Pathology, University of Foggia - ²Department of Advanced Medical Surgical Sciences and Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, Catania, Italy - ³Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, University of Rome “La Sapienza” Rome, Italy - ⁴Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy

Post-actinic arteriopathy is one of the most devastating complications associated with therapy for head-and-neck cancers. We report a case of 67-year-old man presented to local emergency ward with left side neck blood dripping who died in a few hours befo- re any diagnoses and treatment could be realized. Autoptic dissection found a 0,4cm length interruption in left internal carotid artery wall, within a fibrotic scar, which comprise the carotid sinus and its bifurcation. An injection and pumping proof with the water to simulate blood flow was conductedand demonstrated water jar from the left wall carotid artery injury. A diagnosis of acute carotid blowout syndrome was posed as cause of death.