SUCCESSIVE CARDIAC DEATH OF BROTHERS IN ASSOCIATION WITH STRESS

A 38-year-old man (Case 1) suddenly collapsed while resting. His 54-ye ar-old brother (Case 2) came soon thereafter began to perform cardiac massage and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. However, the elder brother s uddenly died after resuscitating his younger brother for about 30 minu tes. Necropsy revealed an occlusive thrombus of the left anterior desc ending coronary artery and coagulation necrosis of the myocardium in C ase 1. Case 2 was diagnosed as sudden cardiac death on the basis of th e moderate coronary sclerosis and myocardial lesions including contrac tion band, fragmentation, waviness, bleeding, and mild subendocardial fibrosis. Pulmonary edema in the both cases revealed the presence of l eft ventricular heart failure. Case 2 is a good example of the contrib ution of psychological and physical stress to sudden cardiac death.