REYES-SYNDROME - A DIAGNOSIS OCCASIONALLY 1ST MADE AT MEDICOLEGAL AUTOPSY

Reye's syndrome, a condition characterized pathologically by cerebral edema and fatty change of the liver, has been described extensively in the medical literature as a disease manifested clinically by encephal opathy and coma. This is a report of five cases of Reye's syndrome occ urring as sudden, unexpected deaths outside of the hospital. In each o f these cases, there is a vague history of a previous viral illness. A history of aspirin intake is inconstant. Each child either had no sig nificant past illnesses or there was a history of repeated upper respi ratory infections. The classic progression of signs and symptoms usual ly described for Reye's syndrome, where vomiting usually precedes ence phalopathy and coma, was not present in any of the cases. Results of a utopsies showed the characteristic findings for Reye's syndrome, and a dditional tests showed no other explanation for the deaths. This manif estation of the disease is seldom described in medical literature, but it may be encountered occasionally by the medical examiner.