Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Lethal endomyocarditis caused by chronic "Krokodil" intoxication.

Antonella Sorrentino1, Silvia Trotta2, Anna Pia Colucci1

  • 1Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.

Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology
|March 21, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Operational definitions and evidentiary readiness for XR, digital twins, virtual worlds and metaverse-like systems in forensic and legal medicine.

Science & justice : journal of the Forensic Science Society·2026
Same author

Post-mortem supravital skeletal muscle excitability for early post-mortem interval estimation: a scoping review and methodological map.

Forensic science, medicine, and pathology·2026
Same author

Clinical Risk Management and Patient-safety Research: A Large-scale Bibliometric Mapping of the Field and Its Emerging Directions (Master vs. 2021-2025).

Journal of patient safety·2026
Same author

What is your next step? A case of malabsorption with imitation game.

Internal and emergency medicine·2026
Same author

FORCE-XR: Minimum reporting set for auditability, integrity, and governance of extended reality and interactive 3D reconstruction in forensic and legal medicine.

International journal of legal medicine·2026
Same author

Undergraduate medical students and artificial intelligence: A global systematic review and meta-analysis using a knowledge-attitude-practice framework.

Medical teacher·2026
This summary is machine-generated.

Krokodil, a homemade opioid, caused lethal heart failure in an Italian man. This case highlights the severe cardiac risks, including endocarditis and myocarditis, associated with desomorphine abuse.

Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Cardiology
  • Forensic Pathology

Background:

  • Krokodil (desomorphine) is a dangerous, homemade opioid synthesized from codeine.
  • It has emerged as a heroin substitute in various global regions.
  • This report details the first documented lethal case of Krokodil abuse in Italy.

Observation:

  • A 39-year-old male presented with hyperthermia, sweating, dyspnea, and tachycardia.
  • Physical examination revealed extensive necrotic lesions on the forearms.
  • Autopsy showed a hypertrophic heart with aortic valve endocardial vegetations and a patent foramen ovale.

Findings:

  • Histopathology confirmed ulcero-vegetative lesions, an abscess on the aortic valve annulus, and myocardial inflammation.
  • Toxicological analysis detected a desomorphine metabolite in urine.
Keywords:
Aortic valve endocarditisDesomorphineKrokodilMyocarditis

Related Experiment Videos

  • The cause of death was attributed to congestive heart failure secondary to endocarditis and myocarditis.

    • Implications:

    • This case underscores the severe cardiovascular toxicity of Krokodil abuse.
    • It highlights the need for increased awareness among healthcare professionals regarding this illicit drug.
    • Early recognition and intervention are crucial for managing complications associated with desomorphine use.