SUDDEN-DEATH DUE TO OBSTRUCTION OF CORONARY-ARTERY OSTIUM BY AORTIC-VALVE PAPILLARY FIBROELASTOMA

Papillary fibroelastomas are rare endocardial growths that most common ly occur on the cardiac valves. Whether papillary fibroelastomas repre sent true neoplasms, hamartomas, or degenerative changes is debatable. Whatever their origin, papillary fibroelastomas have a characteristic gross and microscopic appearance, are usually solitary, and are almos t always incidental findings at autopsy or during cardiac surgery. We report a case of sudden death caused by occlusion of the right coronar y artery ostium by a papillary fibroelastoma of the aortic valve. We d iscuss the gross and microscopic features, differential diagnosis, and etiology and pathogenesis of this rare and interesting cardiac lesion .