title: Multiple infectious pseudoaneurysms: An autopsy case.
abstract: A 47-year-old Japanese woman died unexpectedly 11 days after admission due to acute cerebellar infarction. The patient had a history of Sjögren syndrome with long-term steroid therapy, hypertension, thalamic infarction and amphetamine psychosis. Multiple pseudoaneurysms in both the aorta and coronary artery were found at autopsy, and one located in the aortic root had ruptured into the pericardium resulting in sudden unexpected death. The detailed examination suggested that the pseudoaneurysms resulted from microbial infection to the arterial wall via the vasa vasorum. Immunosuppression induced by the long-term steroid therapy and abused drug injection could have influenced the formation of pseudoaneurysms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Division of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka Medical College, 2-7, Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: zelkova@art.osaka-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shuntaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Comprehensive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka Medical College, 2-7, Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshikatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Division of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka Medical College, 2-7, Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Division of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka Medical College, 2-7, Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000473:pathology*; D000785:Aneurysm, Infected / Q000473:pathology*; D001344:Autopsy; D003645:Death, Sudden; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Infectious arteritis; Intravenous drug abuse; Multiple pseudoaneurysm; Steroid therapy; Vasculitic syndrome