We describe the case of a 40 year old woman, who had suffered from asthma since infancy, with a negative case history of asthma induced by aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) agents, who died after ingesting 400 mg of ibuprofen. The autopsy specimens collected 3 months after death had all the characteristic pathological features of fatal asthma. The medical records showed that the patient was not informed of the potential fatal outcome of an asthma attack, and that she was not properly treated.