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"Negative" Results of Autopsy and Elusive Cause of Death

Arch Intern Med. 1998;158:1399-1400.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

INTRODUCTION

A 91-YEAR-OLD man was a nursing home resident mainly due to mild dementia. He died suddenly after taking his evening meal. The nursing home staff reported that he had been in his usual state of health when he suddenly collapsed; death was pronounced within minutes of the collapse. His medical history included nodular goiter diagnosed 27 years prior to death, a 6-year history of atrial fibrillation, and a 4-year history of an unspecified type of mild dementia. Mild mitral regurgitation was also noted 2 years before death. Notably absent from the clinical history was any evidence of systemic hypertension, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, or diabetes mellitus.

AUTOPSY FINDINGS

Atherosclerotic luminal stenosis (70%) was identified in the distal circumflex branch of the left coronary artery. Other coronary arteries had 40% to 50% maximum stenosis. Mild floppiness of the mitral valve was present. The heart weighed 340 g (expected mean, 290 g). No . . . [Full Text of this Article]

COMMENT

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Case of the Month: Wrapping Things Up
Hanzlick and the Autopsy Committee of the College of American P
Arch Intern Med 2000;160:3029-3031.
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