Hypoplastic coronary artery disease causing sudden death. Report of two cases and review of the literature.
Congenital coronary anomalies represent a condition often unrecognized in the living and in the dead. Investigating this condition is relevant for both clinicians and pathologists in order to identify potentially unrecognized coronary causes of sudden death. Hypoplastic coronary artery disease (HCAD) is a rare congenital abnormality reported to be associated with sudden death. We report two additional cases of previously apparently healthy people who died suddenly and were found to have HCAD at postmortem evaluation. The clinicopathologic findings are discussed along with a review of the literature.
De Giorgio
Fabio
F
Institute of Legal Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Abbate
Antonio
A
Stigliano
Egidio
E
Capelli
Arnaldo
A
Arena
Vincenzo
V
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans