[Pathology of myocardial fatty infiltration: an autopsy report from 117 cases]

To explore the risk factors related to the formation of myocardial fatty infiltration and possible pathological consequences.

The macroscopic and microscopic findings in 117 autopsy cases with myocardial fatty infiltration were examined during October, 2001 to June, 2009.

There was a significant positive correlation between the macroscopic grading of subepicardial adipose tissue and the microscopic myocardial fatty infiltrative degree(r(s) = 0.57, P < 0.01) but there was no correlations between the myocardial fatty infiltrative degree and age as well as coronary arteriosclerosis (all P > 0.05). The percent of myocardial atrophy was 39.32% (46/117), and the rate of myocardial atrophy in mild myocardial fatty infiltration group (13/63, 20.63%) was significantly lower than that in moderate myocardial fatty infiltration group (22/39, 34.92%; chi(2) = 12.14, P < 0.01) and in severe myocardial fatty infiltration group (11/15, 73.33%; chi(2) = 13.42, P < 0.01). There were 28 sudden cardiac deaths among the 117 cases including 6 deaths due to myocardial fatty infiltration.

Myocardial fatty infiltration is often associated with myocardial atrophy, even with sudden cardiac death but is not an accompanying pathologic changes of aging and coronary arteriosclerosis.