FROM LUNG TO LARYNX: AN AUTOPSY-BASED CASE REPORT OF SUDDEN DEATH DUE TO AN UNUSUAL MECHANISM OF FATAL MECHANICAL ASPHYXIA FOLLOWING MASSIVE HEMOPTYSIS

Hemoptysis is characterized by the coughing up of blood originating from either the tracheobronchial tree or the lung parenchyma.1 Although hemoptysis is usually limited in volume, massive hemoptysis can be life-threatening due to airway obstruction and asphyxia or severe blood loss. Approximately 5–14% of patients with hemoptysis may develop life-threatening bleeding. The definition of massive hemoptysis varies across studies and is based on factors such as the volume and rate of bleeding, the total blood loss within 24 hours, and the presence of respiratory compromise or hemodynamic instability. Given that the airway has a capacity for 100-200 mL of fluid, hemoptysis is considered massive if the blood loss is greater than 200ml2 .