FATAL SUTURE EMBOLISM TO THE LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING CORONARY-ARTERY- A CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

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.