Sudden death due to colloidal cyst: a rare autopsy case report

Sudden death from an undiagnosed primary intracranial neoplasm is an exceptionally rare event. We report here a rare cause of sudden natural death, colloidal cyst associated with neurogenic pulmonary edema (NPE) diagnosed at autopsy. A 35-years-old female was brought to the hospital in unconscious state with features of respiratory failure and froth in the mouth, along with past history of headache. She died after half an hour and attending doctor registered a medico-legal case in suspicion of Sub-arachnoid haemorrhage associated with respiratory failure/acute poisoning but autopsy revealed a cystic swelling at 3^rd ventricle in brain with severe pulmonary edema. We suggest that, brain tumors should be in the differential diagnosis of all patients, presenting with headache and deteriorating respiratory function and autopsy surgeon should rule out brain space occupying lesions (brain tumors) in a case with clinical manifestations of pulmonary edema apart from suspected poisoning.