Forensic Science International
Volume 116, Issue 1 , Pages 77-80, 1 February 2001

Fatal traumatic rupture of an aortic aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva: an autopsy case

Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, Osaka 545-8585, Japan

Received 23 February 2000; received in revised form 28 July 2000; accepted 30 July 2000.

Abstract 

This report describes an autopsy case of a rare type of aortic sinus of Valsalva aneurysm, which caused fatal rupture from a blunt chest impact. A 51-year-old male was hit in the chest with a fist, lost consciousness after about 15min and died after approximately 7h. The postmortem examination revealed a large saccular aneurysm of the right coronary sinus bulging on the right atrium, which had a full laceration causing pericardial hematoma (cardiac tamponade). A related chest wall injury was observed in the right outer mammary region. A rare type of bulging onto the right atrium and subsequent sclerosis of the right coronary artery appeared to have greatly contributed to the fatal rupture.

Keywords:  Forensic pathology, Aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva, Traumatic rupture

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PII: S0379-0738(00)00365-0

Forensic Science International
Volume 116, Issue 1 , Pages 77-80, 1 February 2001

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