Sudden death due to lupus-induced pancarditis diagnosed after necropsy: a case report

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease affecting many organs and which is predominant in females. Although various manifestations of SLE may result in sudden death, pancarditis is very rarely encountered in forensic practice. We report on a case of sudden death caused by lupus-induced pancarditis. A 24-year-old male had pneumonia and intractable fever as initial signs when he was admitted to hospital. The patient had no symptoms associated with the cardiovascular system up to 3 days before he died. The echocardiogram and electrocardiogram were normal and diagnosis was not made until necropsy. This case is reported to broaden our understanding about the complexity of manifestations associated with SLE and inform clinicians and medical examiners of the potential for this type of lupus-induced pancarditis.