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Paradoxical undressing associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage in a non-hypothermia case?

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Abstract

Paradoxical undressing is a phenomenon characterizing some fatal hypothermia cases. The victims, despite low environmental temperatures, paradoxically remove their clothes due to a sudden feeling of warmth. In this report, we describe a case of suspected paradoxical undressing in a non-hypothermia case. The victim, a 51-year-old Caucasian man, was found dead wearing only sneakers and socks. All other clothing was found in his car. Postmortem investigations allowed the hypothesis of hypothermia to be ruled out and revealed the presence of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm that caused a subarachnoid hemorrhage, the latter responsible for the death. The absence of any elements suggesting a voluntary undressing or any third party’s DNA profile or involvement along with the possibility that the subarachnoid hemorrhage might have determined a hypothalamic injury, somehow rendered conceivable the hypothesis of an inappropriate feeling of warmth due to hemorrhage-induced dysregulation of the hypothalamic temperature-regulating centers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre Universitaire Romand de Médecine Légale, University Centre of Legal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Chemin de la Vulliette 4, 1000, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Emilienne Descloux, Kewin Ducrot, Maria Pia Scarpelli & Cristian Palmiere

  2. Division of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital Centre and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Alexander Lobrinus

Authors
  1. Emilienne Descloux
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  2. Kewin Ducrot
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  3. Maria Pia Scarpelli
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  4. Alexander Lobrinus
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  5. Cristian Palmiere
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Correspondence to Cristian Palmiere.

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Descloux, E., Ducrot, K., Scarpelli, M.P. et al. Paradoxical undressing associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage in a non-hypothermia case?. Int J Legal Med 131, 1341–1345 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-017-1597-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-017-1597-3

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