Sudden death and Takayasu's arteritis: The role of histopathological investigation

When death is sudden and unexpected, autopsy may not provide sufficient information to be sure of the cause of death. Some causes can only be identified by microscopy. We report a case of sudden death in a woman who suffered from vertigo and hypertension. The autopsy only showed sclerosis of the thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta and coronary arteries, and the toxicological results were negative and did not explain the cause of death. A microscopic and immunohistochemical analysis of samples from various organs was carried out. The histopathological examination revealed eosinophilia in the aortic wall, consistent with a vasculitis such as Takayasu's arteritis. This case emphasises the association between systemic vasculitis and sudden death, as well as the role of histopathological investigation and the importance of post-mortem diagnosis to prevent similar fatal events among family members.