title: Adipositas cordis sudden death: a series of 79 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The principal aim of this study was to investigate the clinical, epidemiological and pathologic features for a series of 79 cases of adipositas cordis sudden death.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed clinical and autopsy pathological features of 79 patients (43 females and 36 males) with adipositas cordis who died suddenly between 1975 and 2010. Data were extracted from China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wan Fang Database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of the 79 cases was 36.6 ± 1.4 years old ranging from 13 to 68, and 82.3% of them were between 20 to 50 years old. Sudden death was the first symptom in 62 (78.5%) of the cases, only 17 (21.5%) had a history of chest distress or dyspnea. More than 4/5 (87.3%) of the cases had no any past medical history. At autopsy, the subjects' heart weight was mild or moderately increased, and a large amount of fatty tissues but not fibrous or fibro fatty was accumulated underneath the epicardium and infiltrated toward the right ventricle walls, and even infiltrated to all layers of the cardiac walls. Regional epidemiological data showed that about 80% of cases were living north and only 20% were living south of the Yangzi River, but not any familial heredity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adipositas cordis sudden death is a very severe disease, it occurs mostly in youth and middle-aged and sudden death is often the first symptom. There is a significant regional difference, but not any genetic correlation. The pathogenesis of adipositas cordis sudden death should to be further explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Heart Failure Center, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ding-Rong
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Heart Failure Center, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Yan
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Heart Failure Center, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Gui-Ling
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Heart Failure Center, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Heart Failure Center, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016208:Databases, Factual; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Sudden death; arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy; autopsy