Fibromuscular dysplasia of the coronary arteries: An unusual case of sudden death and review of the literature

Abstract

Fibromuscular dysplasia of the coronary is an uncommon coronary defect with a range of pathological alterations and unpredictable clinical description that can cause sudden death. We present an autopsy case of sudden cardiac death due to a rupture of a coronary artery aneurysm in a 59-year-old woman. Postmortem autopsy revealed two huge saccular aneurysms located at the right coronary artery, one of which was ruptured leading to a fatal hemopericardium. Histopathological examination revealed coronary artery fibromuscular dysplasia with fibromyxoid dissociation of the media causing saccular aneurysms. The involvement of coronary arteries in fibromuscular dysplasia with aneurysmal features has been rarely reported in the literature and is most likely an underdiagnosed finding. Due to the little number of published studies, the etiology is not fully understood and data on pathogenesis, risk factors, manifestation, disease course, and mortality are still unclear, which is a gap that needs to be filled in order to avoid under-diagnosis of the disease. Our case report aimed to discuss the mechanisms of sudden death attributed to coronary fibromuscular dysplasia.

Keywords: Aneurysm; Autopsy; Coronary arteries; Fibromuscular dysplasia; Histology; Sudden cardiac death.