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Coronary thrombosis and sudden death after an enteroviral infection. Case report

Fiorella Calabrese1, Cristina Basso, Marialuisa Valente

  • 1Department of Pathology, University of Padua Medical School, Padua, Italy.

APMIS : Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica, Et Immunologica Scandinavica
|April 30, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Sudden cardiac death in a young man was linked to enteroviral infection. This infection may destabilize coronary artery plaques, leading to dangerous blood clots.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Virology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young individuals is a critical concern.
  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cause of cardiac events.
  • Viral infections are increasingly recognized as potential triggers for cardiovascular events.

Observation:

  • A 26-year-old male experienced sudden death 9 days post-influenza.
  • Autopsy revealed an unstable atherosclerotic plaque in the left anterior descending coronary artery.
  • The plaque showed thrombosis, endothelial erosion, and significant inflammatory cell infiltration (T-cells, macrophages).

Findings:

  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcriptase (RT-PCR) analysis of coronary sections detected an enteroviral genome.
  • Enteroviral infection was identified as a potential factor in the acute coronary event.

Implications:

  • Enteroviral infections may precipitate acute coronary syndromes by destabilizing vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques.
  • This case highlights the importance of considering viral triggers in young individuals with sudden cardiac death and acute coronary events.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms linking enteroviruses to coronary plaque instability and thrombosis.

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