A forensic autopsy case: Sudden unexpected death due to cardiac inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor

Leg Med (Tokyo). 2021 Nov:53:101931. doi: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2021.101931. Epub 2021 Jun 12.

Abstract

We report an autopsy case of a 25-year-old man with no medical history who died suddenly in an Internet cafe. He was found in cardiorespiratory arrest and did not respond to cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Traumatic lesions were not observed on his body. An autopsy was performed to investigate the cause of death. Upon examination, we discovered a heart tumor that infiltrated from the outside wall to the outflow tract of the left ventricle. Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction due to a cardiac tumor was considered the mechanism of death. Histological examination identified an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT). The final diagnosis was death secondary to circulatory failure due to a cardiac IMT. Additionally, a cardiac tumor was diagnosed using post-mortem computed tomography. Only few cases of sudden unexpected death due to cardiac IMT have been reported; we report this case along with a review of the literature.

Keywords: Forensic medicine; Heart; Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor; Pathology; Post-mortem computed tomography; Sudden unexpected death.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Autopsy
  • Death, Sudden / etiology
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / etiology
  • Heart Defects, Congenital*
  • Heart Neoplasms* / complications
  • Heart Ventricles / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Male