Death from spontaneous coronary artery dissection in a healthy postmenopausal woman

Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2004 Jun;25(2):176-7. doi: 10.1097/01.paf.0000127396.59458.03.

Abstract

Spontaneous dissection of the coronary arteries, in the absence of trauma, is an unusual but well-documented entity that occurs usually in middle-aged women. It is a rare cause of sudden death and myocardial infarction. Coronary eosinophilic arteritis is suggested to result in a predisposition to intimal disruption and dissection. We present the case of the sudden death of a previous healthy, 53-year-old postmenopausal female, while working, in a town of Thessalia in Greece. The cause of death was left anterior descending coronary dissection with histologic findings of eosinophilic arteritis and autoimmune thyroiditis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aortic Dissection / complications*
  • Arteritis / pathology
  • Coronary Aneurysm / complications*
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / etiology*
  • Eosinophilia / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Postmenopause*
  • Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / pathology