Death caused by hemolytic - uremic syndrome . Case series

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome is defined by a combination between renal failure, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia; it usually appears in young children, is preceded by gastrointestinal enteritis and may involve other organs as well. The purpose of this article is to present a series of four cases of lethal hemolytic uremic syndrome and discuss its legal medicine consequences. For the first three cases an autopsy was not performed and the direct cause of death was considered brain involvement. In the fourth case an autopsy was performed and the direct cause of death was considered to be septic shock, secondary to diarrheal associated hemolytic uremic syndrome, caused by a enteropathogen E.Coli.