03.06.2020 | Case Report
Sudden death of a young adult with coronary artery vasculitis, coronary aneurysms, parvovirus B19 infection and Kawasaki disease
verfasst von:
Stefan Flossdorf, Karl Heinz Schiwy-Bochat, Daniela Teifel, Jochen W. U. Fries, Markus A. Rothschild
Erschienen in:
Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology
|
Ausgabe 3/2020
Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten
Abstract
We present a case of a 20-year-old man who suffered from Kawasaki disease (KD) associated with a florid parvovirus infection, and who died suddenly from thrombotic occlusion of the coronary arteries. The autopsy revealed several aneurysms of the coronary arteries, a chronic vasculitis and a myofibroblast proliferation leading to focal luminal narrowing. The inflammatory response as well as the detection of the viral particles by PCR in blood and in the lesional tissue demonstrated a possible cause by Parvovirus infection. The expression of endoglin on endothelial cells of neoangiogenesis indicates the involvement of the TGF-beta pathway, necessary for maintaining chronic inflammation. In addition, a possible connection between the intake of methylphenidate, arteritis and a possible pre-existing heart disease must be discussed. Furthermore, KD must also be considered as a cause of sudden death in the adult population.