Gastromalacia (Postmortem Gastric Perforation): Two Cases Reports

Korean J Leg Med 2020;44:45-47

Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea

E-mail: sanghan1@knu.ac.kr

Gastromalacia refers to the postmortem acute autolytic erosion of the gastric wall. It should be distinguished from gastric perforations caused by antemortem injuries or other pathologic processes, such as ulcer perforations. It appears as a slimy brownish-black perforation of the gastric wall. The diagnosis is based on the presence of a typical macroscopic perforation in the fundic portion of the stomach, lack of vital reactions in the adjacent organs, and lack of clinical or autopsy evidence of trauma. Here, we report two cases of gastromalacia: one in a 53-year-old woman who died from severe head injury and another in a 2-year-old child who died from neglect by his father. Gastromalacia is a welldefined phenomenon, but due to its rarity in the practical work, it could be misdiagnosed as other causes of gastric perforation.

Key Words: Stomach; Autolysis; Artifacts; Postmortem changes