A heart of stone: an autopsy case of massive myocardial calcification

Abstract

A case of massive calcification of the myocardium is presented that was diagnosed by postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and confirmed by conventional autopsy. There are two types of pathologic calcification, dystrophic and metastatic. Massive calcification of the myocardium is associated with variable clinical outcomes, including sudden unexpected death. A 53-year-old man was found after he collapsed beside a walkway. He was transferred to hospital and died approximately two months later. To investigate the cause of death, PMCT and conventional autopsy were performed, which revealed massive calcification of the myocardium, a very rare finding at autopsy. Massive myocardial calcification was one of the possible causes of his collapse. PMCT may be a useful diagnostic tool for detecting massive calcification of the myocardium following sudden cardiac death.

Keywords: Autopsy; Calcification; Computed tomography; Heart.