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Coronary artery thromboembolism from left appendage mural thrombus- a rare complication from atrial fibrillation.

Sinead McCarthyJack GarlandChristopher X WongRexson D Tse
Published in: Forensic science, medicine, and pathology (2021)
A 54-year-old man with recurrent, persistent atrial fibrillation was found dead unexpectedly. He was reportedly non-compliant with his medications and was not on anti-coagulant therapy. He was found dead in his residence after complaining of abdominal discomfort a day prior to death. Postmortem examination revealed a thromboembolus occluding the left anterior descending coronary artery that originated from a mural thrombus in the left appendage, in addition to kidney infarcts. Although atrial fibrillation-related thromboembolism is often speculated to be a cause of myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries, supporting pathological evidence is rare. This case documents radiological, macroscopic and microscopic images of this important complication from atrial fibrillation.
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