Non-atherosclerotic coronary pathology causing sudden death.
Coronary atherosclerosis is responsible for >50% of all cases of sudden death and for 90% of sudden coronary death. Four cases encountered in routine autopsy evaluation at our institute in 2004 in which non-atherosclerotic coronary pathology was responsible for sudden cardiac death are reported. The cases of a 31-year-old man with epicardial coronary arteritis, a 57-year-old man with intramyocardial vasculitis, a 45-year-old woman with spontaneous coronary dissection and a 50-year-old man with vascular fibrosis are described. Searching for non-atherosclerotic coronary disease is relevant for both the clinician and the pathologist to prevent coronary causes of sudden death going unrecognised.
De Giorgio
Fabio
F
Institute of Legal Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. fdegiorgio@tiscalinet.it
Abbate
Antonio
A
Vetrugno
Giuseppe
G
Capelli
Arnaldo
A
Arena
Vincenzo
V
D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D001167:Arteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D003323:Coronary Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology