Arlt E M, Keller T, Wittmann H, Monticelli F
Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Salzburg, Austria.
Leg Med (Tokyo). 2012 May;14(3):154-6. doi: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2012.01.003. Epub 2012 Feb 16.
The case of a female in the latter half of her teens found dead in her father's apartment is reported. A glass containing liquid and plant remnants was found at the death scene. There were no indications of any intervention or the application of force by a third party. Autopsy showed unremarkable findings. Toxicological investigations revealed lethal doses of aconitine, a highly poisonous alkaloid and the major active compound of Aconitum napellus, in all specimens. Plant remnants were identified as A. napellus leaves by a botanist and toxicological examination of the liquid in the glass on site showed extremely high concentrations of aconitine. Additionally, laboratory results revealed that the young female was suffering from thyrotoxicosis factitia, an uncommon form of hyperthyroidism caused by misuse or overdosing of thyroid hormones in order to loose weight. A rare but serious and often fatal complication of hyperthyroidism is thyroid storm. Eventually the condition of thyroid storm due to thyrotoxicosis factitia could have contributed to the woman's death from aconitine poisoning.
据报道，一名十几岁后半段的女性被发现死于其父亲的公寓内。在死亡现场发现了一个装有液体和植物残骸的玻璃杯。没有迹象表明有第三方进行过干预或施加过暴力。尸检结果无异常。毒理学调查显示，所有样本中均含有致死剂量的乌头碱，乌头碱是一种剧毒生物碱，也是乌头的主要活性成分。植物残骸经植物学家鉴定为乌头叶，对现场玻璃杯中液体的毒理学检查显示乌头碱浓度极高。此外，实验室结果显示，这位年轻女性患有人为性甲状腺毒症，这是一种不常见的甲状腺功能亢进症，由滥用或过量服用甲状腺激素以减肥所致。甲状腺风暴是甲状腺功能亢进症一种罕见但严重且常致命的并发症。最终，人为性甲状腺毒症引发的甲状腺风暴可能导致该女子死于乌头碱中毒。
