Pathology of myocardial fatty infiltration: an autopsy report from 117 cases / 中华心血管病杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the risk factors related to the formation of myocardial fatty infiltration and possible pathological consequences.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The macroscopic and microscopic findings in 117 autopsy cases with myocardial fatty infiltration were examined during October, 2001 to June, 2009.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was a significant positive correlation between the macroscopic grading of subepicardial adipose tissue and the microscopic myocardial fatty infiltrative degree(r(s) = 0.57, P < 0.01) but there was no correlations between the myocardial fatty infiltrative degree and age as well as coronary arteriosclerosis (all P > 0.05). The percent of myocardial atrophy was 39.32% (46/117), and the rate of myocardial atrophy in mild myocardial fatty infiltration group (13/63, 20.63%) was significantly lower than that in moderate myocardial fatty infiltration group (22/39, 34.92%; chi(2) = 12.14, P < 0.01) and in severe myocardial fatty infiltration group (11/15, 73.33%; chi(2) = 13.42, P < 0.01). There were 28 sudden cardiac deaths among the 117 cases including 6 deaths due to myocardial fatty infiltration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Myocardial fatty infiltration is often associated with myocardial atrophy, even with sudden cardiac death but is not an accompanying pathologic changes of aging and coronary arteriosclerosis.</p>