Pietro Pacifico Gamondi (1914-1993), tropical physician and ethnologist. A protagonist of medical research in the middle of the 20th century.

Pietro Pacifico Gamondi was a tropical physician, who was one of the main protagonists of medical research during the 20th century. His training as a doctor first saw him in Rome following doctor Aldo Castellani. Gamondi then left for Lisbon, London, and the extra-European countries that have characterized his path as a doctor and as a man. In fact, he traveled to Indonesia and Africa, where took care of the population, combining European and local medicine. In this contribution, we wanted to remember the figure of a man who dedicates his life to tropical medicine and to the care of others.

A rare case of sudden death due to endomyocardial fibrosis in Italy: A differential diagnosis with other causes of restrictive cardiomyopathy.

A 45-years-old Indonesian woman was admitted to the hospital with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and tachyarrhythmia. Atrial fibrillation was found at ECG, blood tests showed mild hepatic function alterations. Radiological exams showed bilateral pleural effusions, ascites, hepatomegaly. Systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle were found to be strongly compromised at US. Physical conditions and laboratory results worsened rapidly, followed by multi organ failure. Death occurred 28 hours after admission. An autopsy was performed to clarify the cause of death and investigated medical malpractice. External examination showed jaundice skin and at internal examination bilateral pleural and pericardial effusions, ascites, mild cardiomegaly, ventricular endocardial fibrosis, a thrombus in tight junction to the left ventricular wall and hepatic necrosis were observed. Histological investigations revealed a massive endomyocardial fibrosis, detected through Azan-Mallory and Verhoef-Van-Gieson stain, and confirmed the presence of hepatic and renal necrosis. Toxicological and microbiological investigations were negative. The cause of death was a global cardiac dysfunction caused by a restrictive cardiomyopathy in an Indonesian woman affected by an undiagnosed and asymptomatic endomyocardial fibrosis. In this case, autopsy and histopathological investigations were fundamental to diagnose an occult endomyocardial fibrosis, which is an idiopathic disorder of tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The not common incidence of this disease in our country and its unusual clinical onset were at first perceived as a medical malpractice from the relatives. Consequently, the clinical aspects of the case intertwine with the medicolegal implications concerning the undiagnosed disease and the causality with the patient's death.

Lithographic lecture notes. A tool of forensic medicine teaching. Observation on the lessons of Paolo Pellacani (1884-1885), forensic physician at the University of Pavia.

We focus our attention on the use of lithographed lecture notes written by professors, or more often by students, in the teaching of medicine and surgery courses, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period in which, to better understand the phenomena underlying life and death, collaboration between medical professionals and natural science researchers was intense (1). In particular, we analyzed the lithographed lecture notes of Professor Paolo Pellacani at the University of Pavia for the course of legal medicine.

Unusual case of traumatic carotid artery dissection occurred during a work-related activity. A case report.

Carotid artery dissection secondary to cervical blunt trauma is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition that can cause a variety of clinical presentations, including stroke, headache, neck pain, tinnitus, Horner syndrome and cranial neuropathies and is associated with long-term sequelae. We report a case of a 49-year-old industrial vehicles mechanic who was projected to the ground by the explosion of the tire of a heavy truck he was inflating. In the following hours he presented various neurological signs and symptoms and was admitted to the Emergency Department. During hospitalization the patient underwent clinical and instrumental investigations with AngioCT and MR finding of left internal carotid artery dissection in correspondence of its cervical segment and three acute ischemic lesions in the left temporal, parietal and occipital lobes. Medical management was successful and the patient was discharged from the hospital three weeks after the admission but he wasn't able to get back to work due to neurological sequelae. This case report illustrates that traumatic carotid artery dissection, although rare, should be considered in patients who present neurological symptoms after an explosion, can meet the criteria for a work-related injury and may lead to a permanent decrease in the ability to work.

The behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia: An analysis of the literature and a case report.

The aim of this case report is to underline the importance of possible legal consequences of the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). This disease is associated with antisocial behavior, impulse control disorder and cognitive and personality impairment, which are often the earliest manifestations of the bvFTD. One of the antisocial behaviors possibly associated with this neurodegenerative disease is pathological stealing. This case report is about a 50-year-old Italian man who had a regular life until 2010. In 2010 and 2011, some critical events occurred: he lost his job, his father-in-law, to whom he was particularly close, died, and his wife had a serious illness. He began to show symptoms of depression, a significant weight loss, apathy, poor self-care, and lack of interest in the activities of his family. He became disengaged from his prior activities, emotionally detached from his family and developed compulsive hoarding. Moreover, he had uninhibited behaviors, a memory retrieval deficit, executive dysfunctions and impulsive behaviors. In January 2012, the subject began stealing objects, particularly components of computer, without premeditation or concern for resulting legal actions. He was then diagnosed affected by bvFTD. He was charged with theft and attempted theft and the Court asked for a psychiatric evaluation, in order to analyze the effect of the neurodegenerative disease on his behavior. To answer to the Court, the Authors analyzed his history of life and made a mental examination. The subject was considered mentally insane at the time of his crimes. This is an example of the practical application in judicial cases of the latest knowledge and evidence in the literature about the frontotemporal dementia, a disease associated with antisocial behaviors that could create tensions with the criminal law. The focus of the paper is to explain how the behavioral symptoms of bvFTD can have legal implications and how to deal with legal aspects of the behaviors induced by a neuro-psychiatric condition, such as bvFTD.

The choking game: A deadly game. Analysis of two cases of "self-strangulation" in young boys and review of the literature.

The choking game is defined as a self-strangulation or strangulation by another person with the hands or a noose to achieve a brief euphoric state caused by cerebral hypoxia. Death may occur, but forensic pathologists often classify them as suicides or accidental deaths, without focusing on the possibility that they may result from a deliberate self-temporary-asphyxiation, turned into a deadly game. Presenting two fatal cases of self-strangulation involving an 11-year-old boy and a teenager of 15 years, the authors identify victims' characteristics and death scene's evidence, which may help to distinguish if a death is from an asphyxial suicide or an asphyxial game.

The "Bestie di Satana" murders.

In recent years, satanic groups have been responsible for various types and degrees of crimes. We report the case of a number of murders committed in Italy by a group of young people calling themselves the "Bestie di Satana". Forensic psychiatric assessment of the members of a satanic sect charged with the crime revealed that all the young people had a fragile, immature personality, a very low level of education and were socially disadvantaged. The trial of the members of the "Bestie di Satana" sect was concluded with the verdict of deliberate murder, and all the members were given long jail sentences. This report should lead us to explore social and cultural responses to juvenile satanism, statistically shown to be a relatively rare phenomenon but with a high criminal potential.