Korean J Leg Med.  2014 Aug;38(3):129-132. 10.7580/kjlm.2014.38.3.129.

Republication: Sudden Postpartum Death from Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

• Park WY
• Jo GR
• Huh GY

• KMID: 2082765
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7580/kjlm.2014.38.3.129

Abstract

We present here a brief literature review and a case study of postpartum pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare and progressive disease with a high maternal mortality rate. The patient, a 32-year-old woman, presented with dyspnea and shivering immediately following an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. The patient had no remarkable individual or familial history. She died 4 hours after her delivery, and an autopsy revealed atherosclerosis of the main pulmonary arteries and characteristic plexiform lesions on the lung. The remaining organs showed no remarkable pathology. We reported pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with pregnancy as the cause of death.

Keyword

Pulmonary artery hypertension; Postpartum; Sudden death

MeSH Terms

Adult
Atherosclerosis
Autopsy
Cause of Death
Death, Sudden
Dyspnea
Female
Humans
Hypertension*
Lung
Maternal Mortality
Pathology
Postpartum Period*
Pregnancy
Pulmonary Artery
Shivering

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. The pulmonary muscular artery shows intimal thickening and atheromatous plaque (a) and hypertrophy of the media (b) (a and b, H & E, × 100).

• 

  Fig. 2. The pulmonary arteriole shows mixed dilated and plexiform lesion (a) and medium power of plexiform lesion (b) (a: H & E, ×100, b: H & E, × 200).

Reference

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