Deaths due to hemoperitoneum are not rare and can result from a variety of underlying pathologic processes, including natural disease as well as trauma. Whenever hemoperitoneum is identified at autopsy, it is incumbent upon the pathologist to identify the source of the hemorrhage. The authors present a case of probable traumatic rupture of the urinary bladder that resulted in lethal intra-abdominal hemorrhage, occurring in a young man who was found dead the morning after drinking heavily.
Keywords: Bladder rupture; Ethanol intoxication; Hemoperitoneum; Urinary bladder.