Autopsy detection of café-coronary syndrome in a psychiatric patient

Sudden and fatal choking during eating is a rare phenomenon in healthy individuals due to the reflex evacuation of food by coughing, but it can happen in intoxicated person and psychiatric patient with eating disorders. A case of sudden death is being reported wherein the dead body of a psychiatric patient was brought to the department for autopsy examination with an alleged history of cardiac-arrest. On autopsy, it was found that the death was due to choking. (Café-Coronary Syndrome). The case is presented here with the aim to discuss its medico-legal aspects and clinical implications.