Objective:

To correlate the findings of the medical legal autopsy carried out with the updated and available generalities of the pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia.

Materials and methods:

The analysis of the protocol of the medical-legal autopsy carried out, and a bibliographic review, were carried out. A 37-year-old female who apparently suffered from “sciatic nerve pain,” who died in her home after experiencing intense pain located in her back and dyspnea. After the medical-legal autopsy, acute chest syndrome due to sickle cell disease was established as the cause of death.

Conclusions:

Sickle cell anemia must be kept in mind at the time of the medical-legal evaluation as a possible cause of death, for this it is necessary to know the pathophysiology of this disease, and to be able to identify these effects when performing the Medical- Legal Autopsy, for this It is necessary to have all the possible tools to be able to make an accurate diagnosis.