Aortic Dissection Resulting in Death

This legal demonstrative presents a time-lapsed visual progression of an aortic dissection leading to death over a 40-hour period. It shows the gradual tearing of the aortic wall, beginning with a minor breach and intensifying into a full rupture. Each panel documents the structural deterioration of the aorta at 40, 30, 20, and 10 hours before death. The final two images depict the cause of death: hemopericardium, a condition in which blood fills the pericardial sac, placing fatal pressure on the heart. This compelling visual aids jurors and experts in understanding the timeline of internal damage and the ultimate cardiac failure resulting from untreated or mismanaged aortic dissection.