title: [Fatal aspiration of blood caused by infectious aortitis].
abstract: A previously healthy 71 year-old woman presented at our medical department with fever, back pain and weight loss. Laboratory analysis demonstrated elevated erythrocyte sedimentation, elevated C-reactive protein and normal white blood cell count. Clinical examination revealed a systolic murmur. On the third day she was found dead in her bed. Autopsy revealed massive aspiration of blood. We report the rare pathologic finding of massive aspiration of blood originating from a ruptured atherosclerotic aneurysm of the thoracic aorta into the left lung, because of infectious aortitis.
authors.affiliation: Medicinsk Endokrinologisk Afdeling, Aarhus Universitetshospital, Tage-Hansens Gade 2, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. fjeldkaren@yahoo.dk
authors.forename: Karen Krogh
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Fjeldborg
authors.forename: Marie Juul
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ørnstrup
authors.forename: Anne Sofie Hanghøj
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Laursen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vestergaard
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001025:Aortitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006396:Hematemesis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000150:complications; D053120:Respiratory Aspiration / Q000209:etiology*