# Sudden Death Due to Coronary Vasculitis: An Unexpected Autopsy Finding and Unusual Association With Thymic Hyperplasia

**Authors:** Aryel Brookins, David M Waters, Lorenzo Gitto

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.51531 · 2024-01-02

## TL;DR

A 43-year-old woman died suddenly from coronary vasculitis, and her autopsy also found thymic hyperplasia, suggesting a possible immune-related connection.

## Contribution

Highlights an unusual association between thymic hyperplasia and sudden death due to coronary vasculitis.

## Key findings

- Autopsy revealed complete occlusion of the right coronary artery due to vasculitis.
- Thymic hyperplasia was observed, with a possible but unproven link to immune dysregulation.
- The case suggests a potential but not yet confirmed connection between thymic hyperplasia and coronary vasculitis.

## Abstract

A 43-year-old Asian woman was found unresponsive on the sidewalk, prompting a call to 911. Upon transportation to the hospital, no signs of trauma were evident, but her condition deteriorated, leading to her eventual passing. An autopsy revealed a complete occlusion of the right coronary artery due to segmental coronary artery vasculitis. Without details of the individual's social or medical history, the specific type of coronary vasculitis couldn't be determined. The internal examination also showed thymic hyperplasia of unknown origin. While there is no conclusive evidence, a potential link between thymic hyperplasia, immune dysregulation, and coronary artery vasculitis is discussed, considering the case and existing literature.

## Linked entities

- **Species:** Homo sapiens (taxon 9606)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** ELN (elastin) [NCBI Gene 2006] {aka ADCL1, SVAS, WBS, WS}
- **Diseases:** myocardial scars (MESH:D002921), Coronary Vasculitis (MESH:D014657), hemorrhage (MESH:D006470), fatigue (MESH:D005221), myocardial ischemia (MESH:D017202), infection (MESH:D007239), Takayasu arteritis (MESH:D013625), CAV (MESH:D003324), aneurysm, occlusion (MESH:D000783), rupture (MESH:D012421), myocardial vacuolization (MESH:C536141), trauma (MESH:D014947), luminal obstruction (MESH:D000402), asystole (MESH:D006323), death (MESH:D003643), occlusion of the right coronary artery (MESH:D054059), giant cell arteritis (MESH:D013700), lymphoid hyperplasia (MESH:D019310), infarction (MESH:D007238), drugs (MESH:D000081015), Coma (MESH:D003128), autoimmune conditions (MESH:D001327), thrombus (MESH:D013927), Sudden Death (MESH:D003645), hyperplasia (MESH:D006965), Kawasaki disease (MESH:D009080), immune dysregulation (OMIM:614878), inflammation (MESH:D007249), Thymic Hyperplasia (MESH:D013952), atherosclerotic (MESH:D050197), immunological disorders (MESH:D007154), sudden cardiac death (MESH:D016757), Polyarteritis nodosa (MESH:D010488), swelling (MESH:D004487), stenosis (MESH:D003251), fibrosis (MESH:D005355), necrosis (MESH:D009336)
- **Species:** Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (no rank) [taxon 2697049], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]
- **Mutations:** 100X, E 40X, E 100X
- **Cell lines:** H&amp;E — Homo sapiens (Human), Transformed cell line (CVCL_ZD53)

## Figures

2 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC10833439/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC10833439