Multiple Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysms: A Rare Cause of Sudden Cardiac Death.
Multiple giant aneurysms involving the coronary arteries are uncommon and rarely reported. In the presented case, a 63-year-old man with poorly controlled hypertension died suddenly. Gross autopsy examination showed multiple giant thrombus-filled coronary artery aneurysms, atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, and cardiomegaly. Histological sections of the coronary aneurysms showed atherosclerotic changes with both organized and fresh thrombus. Giant coronary aneurysm is defined as a segmental enlargement of a coronary artery with a diameter exceeding 20 mm or more. The main etiology of this nebulous entity is attributed to atherosclerosis and inflammatory or inherited connective tissue disorders with the remainder being congenital, infectious, or idiopathic. Before its cataclysmic presentation, when ruptured or thrombosed, giant coronary aneurysm usually has a silent clinical course. Sudden death owing to giant multiple coronary aneurysms is rare and mandates careful classification of the aneurysms and prudent search for autoimmune-mediated or genetically based factors for subsequent ancillary autopsy studies.
['Janík|Martin|M|', 'Hejna|Petr|P|', 'Ublová|Michaela|M|', 'Šteiner|Ivo|I|']
D006332:Cardiomegaly D003323:Coronary Aneurysm D003324:Coronary Artery Disease D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac D006801:Humans D006973:Hypertension D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged
sudden cardiac death autopsy giant coronary aneurysm etiology forensic pathology forensic science