Finding into death of Rodney Soffer

58y · Male·ischaemic bowel; chronic megacolon in the setting of constipation, hypothyroidism and Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome

A 58-year-old man with Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome, chronic constipation, hypothyroidism and intellectual disability died from ischaemic bowel secondary to chronic megacolon. He presented to hospital with abdominal distension and underwent CT imaging and sigmoidoscopy showing dilated bowel without clear obstruction. He was discharged after initial admission but returned within days with worsening distension and died shortly after readmission. The autopsy revealed sigmoid colon infarction with scattered early thrombi in mesenteric veins, likely secondary to compression from the markedly dilated colon. No clinical errors or preventable factors were identified by the coroner. The death resulted from the natural progression of his underlying syndromic condition combined with chronic gastrointestinal dysfunction.