Sudden Cardiac Death due to Coronary Fibromuscular Dysplasia: Case Report and Literature Review

According to the 2015 annual report on legal autopsies in Korea, 51.5% of natural deaths were diagnosed as being of cardiac origin. Among them, ischemic heart disease was the cause of death in 67.3% of people [1]. In general, most cases of ischemic heart disease are known to result from coronary atherosclerosis. However, there are several nonatherosclerotic conditions with different pathophysiologic mechanisms, causes, and risk factors. These conditions include vasospasm due to smoking, drug or alcohol use; emboli associated with atrial fibrillation or infective endocarditis; vascular diseases such as vasculitis, amyloidosis, or dissection; and systemic diseases such as shock. In this study, we report a case of sudden cardiac death due to fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) of the coronary artery, diagnosed by pathologic findings and Korean J Leg Med 2018;42:26-32 https://doi.org/10.7580/kjlm.2018.42.1.26