Heat stroke. Report of three fatal cases with emphasis on findings in skeletal muscle.

Three fatal cases of heat stroke were encountered in the central New York area over a two-month period. Although in each instance one or more predisposing factors were identified, exertion clearly played a role in its development in only one case. In addition to laboratory and postmortem findings indicative of dysfunction of many organ systems, there was morphological evidence of widespread damage to skeletal muscle.