Journal de recherche médico-légale

An Autopsy Case of Fatal Methemoglobinemia due to Ingestion of Sodium Nitrite

Abstract

Minori Nishiguchi, Hideyuki Nushida, Noriyuki Okudaira and Hajime Nishio

We herein present an autopsy case of fatal methemoglobinemia due to suicidal ingestion of sodium nitrite. A man in his 30s who had exhibited mild depression was found dead in his house. A glass containing a white turbid solution and a suicide note were found on the table near the decedent. At autopsy, the lividity of the face and back was greenish gray, and the blood was tinted a chocolate brown color. Toxicological analysis of nitrite and nitrate using a colorimetric method showed that the nitrite concentrations were <0.05 and 0.09 μg/mL and that the nitrate concentrations were 71.69 and 83.48 μg/mL in the heart and femoral blood, respectively. Biochemical analysis after death showed that the level of methemoglobin was 83.4% by spectrophotometry. We conclude that the cause of death was severe methemoglobinemia following acute poisoning induced by sodium nitrite ingestion, although the blood nitrite concentration did not reach the fatal level.