Sudden Death Due to Unusual Complication of Takayasu Arteritis: An Autopsy Case

Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2017 Jun;38(2):91-93. doi: 10.1097/PAF.0000000000000293.

Abstract

Takayasu arteritis is an uncommon inflammatory disease with usually a good prognosis. However, sometimes, the evolution can be fatal essentially by a coronary arteries involvement. We present a case of a 19-year-old woman who died suddenly from cardiogenic shock complicating an unknown Takayasu arteritis.At the autopsy, the aorta showed a significant thickening of the wall. The coronary arteries were slightly thickened and did not show any occlusion. Microscopic examination of the aorta showed an abundant granulomatous and a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. Microscopic sections of other internal organs showed signs of cardiac hypertrophy and an extensive edema of the lung. Death was attributed to acute heart failure complicating a supravalvular aortic stenosis secondary to unknown Takayasu arteritis.Takayasu arteritis can be life-threatening by an occlusion of the ascending aorta and its major branches, without any coronary arteries involvement.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aortic Stenosis, Subvalvular / complications
  • Aortic Stenosis, Subvalvular / pathology*
  • Cardiomegaly / pathology
  • Coronary Vessels / pathology
  • Death, Sudden / etiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pulmonary Edema / pathology
  • Shock, Cardiogenic / etiology
  • Takayasu Arteritis / complications*
  • Takayasu Arteritis / diagnosis
  • Young Adult