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Question #146 (4/17/2026)
National Association of Medical Examiners
Educational Activities Committee
Submitted by
Kara Gawelek, MD
(
Deputy Medical Examiner, Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office, Cleveland, OH
),
Heather Maioli, MD
(
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
),
Cynthia Harris, MD
(
City Medical Examiner, New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, New York, NY
), and
Nadia Solomon, MD, MSc, MA
(
City Medical Examiner, New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, New York, NY; Fellow, Emergency and Trauma Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
)
1.
An 80-year-old female with a history of unspecified cardiac disease (status post pacemaker placement) and chronic alcohol use was found outdoors deceased, last known alive two days prior. Gross photos of the brain are demonstrated (figure 1).
2. A 70-year-old male with a history of bilateral hand arthritis was discovered unresponsive outside his residence during a wellness check. Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) images of the brain are provided (figure 2).
Assuming the brain findings in both cases represent the same radiology-pathology correlates, which of the following pieces of information would best explain the findings?
A.Personality changes and/or memory loss
B. A.Environmental conditions of the scenes
C. A.Toxicology and/or prescription medication history
D. A.History of malignancy
