Search

Of the gastrointestinal causes of sudden death, upper gastrointestinal bleeding is the most common and is usually due to the rupture of oesophageal varice, which is a complication of portal hypertension associated with cirrhosis of the liver. Here, we present two cases of sudden death due to acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding diagnosed at autopsy. One was a known alcoholic suffering from liver cirrhosis. In the other case, the individual was undergoing treatment for liver cirrhosis but was non-alcoholic with a history of consuming herb medication for a long time. Here, we highlight the importance of obtaining a detailed medical history to better correlate the autopsy findings with the disease condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]