title: [Cardio-pulmonary pathology of sudden death in asthma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the pathological characteristics of the heart and lung in asthmatics with sudden death.
  
  
  METHODS
  A detail analysis of pathological data was performed on 14 patients with sudden death in asthma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no apparent gender difference among 14 patients. 9 patients were younger than 30 years old. Pathological examination showed that bronchial infiltration of eosinophils in 14 patient (100%), thickened basement membrane of the bronchial mucosa in 12 patients (85.7%), proliferation of smooth muscle cells in 11 patients (78.6%), proliferative mucous gland in 9 patients (64.3%), mucous plug in bronchiole in 8 patients (57.1%), and cicatvization of left ventricle in 10 patients (71.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe nonspecific airway inflammation is demonstrated in asthmatic patients with sudden death. Lesions of the left ventricle and mucous plug in bronchiole may contribute to the main cause leading sudden death.
authors.affiliation: First University Hospital, West China University of Medical Sciences. Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000473:pathology*; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*