Morphologic findings in sudden coronary death: a comparison of those with and those without previous symptoms of myocardial ischemia.
In this article, the amount and distribution of coronary arterial narrowing by atherosclerotic plaque at necropsy are described in 70 victims of sudden coronary death. Of 3484 5-mm segments examined from the four major coronary arteries, 950 (27 per cent) were narrowed 76 to 100 per cent in cross-sectional area by atherosclerotic plaque; 1127 (32 per cent) were narrowed 51 to 75 per cent; 689 (20 per cent) were narrowed 26 to 50 per cent; and 718 (21 per cent) were narrowed 0 to 25 per cent. More extensive severe narrowing occurred in the proximal halves compared with the distal halves of the left anterior descending and left circumflex coronary arteries. Comparison between the 31 previously symptomatic victims (either angina pectoris and/or a clinical acute myocardial infarction) and the 39 victims who had previously been asymptomatic disclosed a significantly higher mean percentage of severely narrowed 5-mm segments and a lower mean percentage of minimally narrowed segments in the symptomatic group.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000473:pathology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D003328:Coronary Thrombosis / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology