Aspiration of blood or massive intrapulmonary hemorrhage can be the cause of sudden death.
Mechanism of death: asphyxiation
Situations where blood can enter the lungs:
(1) ruptured aorta (aortic aneurysm, infective aortitis)
(2) ruptured intra-pulmonary cavernous hemangioma or vascular malformation
(3) penetrating or blunt trauma
(4) following lung surgery
(5) massive epistaxis
(6) nodular pulmonary amyloidosis
(7) diffuse alveolar hemorrhage
The diagnosis requires exclusion of other causes of death.
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Specialty: Clinical Laboratory
