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Sudden Death from Tubercular Myocarditis
Author(s) -
Silingardi Enrico,
Rivasi Francesco,
Santunione Anna L.,
Garagnani Lorella
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2006.00117.x
Subject(s) - autopsy , myocarditis , pathology , spleen , medicine , forensic pathology , polymerase chain reaction , interventricular septum , tuberculosis , serology , sudden death , lymph , mycobacterium tuberculosis , cause of death , biology , immunology , antibody , disease , biochemistry , ventricle , gene
Tuberculous myocarditis is a rare finding. We present the case of a 33‐year‐old woman who was in good health and who died suddenly at home. Autopsy and histopathologic examinations revealed granulamatous lesions in the myocardium, lungs, lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. No fast acid bacilli were demonstrated on histological examination. The presence of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA complex was identified using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded histological samples. An HIV test carried out on the blood obtained during the autopsy was negative according to the DNA amplification technique (PCR) and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay serological test. We hypothesize that the mechanism of death was severe ventricular arrhythmia due to granulomatous proliferation in the structures of the interventricular septum.