RUPTURE OF DISSECTING ANEURYSM IN A CHINA-AIRLINES CO-PILOT

A 46-year-old male co-pilot of China Airlines developed shortness of b reath during landing on a flight from Tokyo to Taipei on May 17, 1994. He was found dead shortly after landing. He was well and had passed h is semi-annual health examination with no history of cardiovascular di sease or hereditary disease. A dissecting aneurysm of DeBakey type I a nd cardiac tamponade with 200 ml blood inside the pericardial cavity d uring autopsy was noted. The right and left coronary arteries showed a therosclerotic changes with the lumen narrowing down to 30% in the ant erior descending branch. Focal myocardial infarction with a healing sc ar, atheroma and arteriosclerosis of the small arteries including the kidney were observed. Nonspecific changes of the chest X-Ray and EKG w ith hyperlipoproteinemia suggests that a more advanced technique is re quired to carefully examine the heart condition during regular physica l checkups to prevent sudden illness that might contribute to mass dis aster.