Papillary fibroelastoma of the aortic valve: a sudden death case of coronary embolism with myocardial infarction

Papillary fibroelastoma is a rare benign turner, occasionally causing angin a or sudden death. We report an autopsy case of an aortic valve papillary f ibroelastoma with coronary artery embolism. The patient was a 68-year-old J apanese man who had collapsed suddenly in his house. Ile was a heavy dr ink er and had a history of liver disease hut no notable cardiac event. The aut opsy revealed extensive transmural infarction of the inferior wall of the l eft and right cardiac ventricles. The distal portion of the light coronary artery (segment 4, NYHA) was completely occluded by turner emboli of the fi broelastoma. At the site of closure of the aortic non-coronary cusp, there was a typical papillary fibroelastoma, which was considered to have origina ted the coronary embolization. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All r ights reserved.