Sulfuric acid injury

Abstract

Injuries and deaths from exposure to caustic substances are infrequently reported in the forensic pathology literature. Strong acids like sulfuric acid produce a predictable set of injuries with cutaneous exposure and ingestion. Multiple factors influence the resultant pathology, but from the perspective of the autopsy pathologist, the most important is the length of postingestion survival. We report the case of a young man whose desire to 'clean his honor' was manifested through the consumption of a large quantity of sulfuric acid drain cleaner. Although a myriad of physical findings were present at autopsy, the majority of these most likely represented the postmortem action of sulfuric acid on tissues.