Sudden Death Due to Rupture of Undiagnosed Saccular Aneurysm in a Young Adult Female: A Case Report

Intracranial saccular (berry) aneurysms often remain asymptomatic until rupture, posing considerable diagnostic and medico-legal challenges when sudden death occurs outside healthcare facilities. We report the case of a 30-year-old female police officer who collapsed suddenly at home, with a history of occupational stress and recurrent headaches. Autopsy revealed diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage, a 0.8 cm saccular aneurysm on the left posterior communicating artery, and a collapsed aneurysmal sac with multiple rupture sites on the left anterior communicating artery, with approximately 200 g of intracranial blood and cerebral edema. The findings confirmed a fatal aneurysmal rupture. Neither toxicological analysis nor histopathological examination was undertaken in this case, and other organs were unremarkable. This case underscores the risk of sudden death from multiple aneurysms in young adults and highlights the medico-legal significance of missed sentinel symptoms, emphasizing the necessity of timely neuroimaging in at-risk individuals.