# Cor Adiposum as the Cause of Sudden Cardiac Death: A Case Report and Literature Review

## TL;DR

A 65-year-old patient died suddenly from heart-related issues due to excessive fat in the heart muscle, a condition called 'cor adiposum'.

## Contribution

The paper introduces 'cor adiposum' as a new term to describe transmural lipomatous myocardial remodeling linked to sudden cardiac death.

## Key findings

- Extensive left ventricular lipomatosis and myocardial fibrosis were found in a patient who died from sudden cardiac death.
- The term 'cor adiposum' is proposed for cases with transmural fatty replacement of the myocardium.
- Fatty replacement of heart muscle may impair cardiac function and potentially be a compensatory process.

## Abstract

We present a case of sudden cardiac death in a 65-year-old patient who came to the emergency room with shortness of breath. The gross examination of the heart was significant for extensive left ventricular lipomatosis in association with myocardial fibrosis. Microscopic examination revealed extensive fatty replacement of the myocardial tissue throughout the entire thickness of the ventricular wall (transmural lipomatous myocardial remodeling). We suggest using the term "cor adiposum" to categorize this morphological condition when the transmural lipomatous transformation of the myocardium is present. The fatty replacement of the heart muscle would have led to impaired cardiac function, ultimately resulting in sudden cardiac death in this patient. We also hypothesize that the accumulation of fat in the myocardium might be a compensatory process to preserve ventricular wall compliance.