Sj. Cina et al., FATAL SUTURE EMBOLISM TO THE LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING CORONARY-ARTERY- A CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE, The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology, 15(2), 1994, pp. 142-145
A variety of emboli may be encountered at autopsy. While pulmonary thr
omboemboli are a relatively common cause of sudden ''natural'' death,
the medical examiner may discover more exotic emboli during the postmo
rtem examination. Other endogenous sources of emboli include the ather
omatous debris, bone marrow, fat, liver, brain, trophoblast, and amnio
tic fluid. Exogenous (''foreign body'') emboli may be introduced durin
g medical/surgical procedures or following penetrating trauma. Fatal i
ntravenous air and gas emboli are also well documented. This report de
tails the first case of a fatal suture embolism to the left anterior d
escending coronary artery following mitral valve replacement. The role
of the medical examiner in the investigation of iatrogenic fatalities
is discussed.