Rekha Narendra Patil1 , Aarti Ashok Dani2 , Utkarsha Hiralal Raut3 , Akshata Rajendra Chaturkar4 , Dinkar Tulsiram Kumbhalkar5
BACKGROUND Autopsy is of great importance in collecting precise data for the evaluation of the health care, research and for providing material for education. Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease causing more morbidity and mortality in developed as well as in developing countries. In Indians, atherosclerotic lesions occur 10 to 15 years earlier and the lesions are in the advanced stage. It is difficult and expensive to evaluate the atherosclerotic lesions in the living subjects. Autopsy based studies are very crucial in studying the atherosclerotic lesions. The present study was undertaken with the aim to study, the presence of atherosclerosis in the coronary vessels in autopsy cases and to correlate it with age and sex. METHODS This is a prospective observational study from Central India. Dissected heart specimens with coronaries were studied irrespective of the age and sex. RESULTS In the present study, 407 cases were studied. There was a male preponderance, accounting for 311 (76.5%) cases. There was no case of atherosclerosis below 20 years of age. Total 209 (51.35%) cases showed atherosclerosis, out of which 170 (81.33%) were males. Left anterior descending coronary artery was most commonly involved. Triple vessel involvement was most commonly seen (70.82% cases). Infarction was seen in 54 (13.26%) cases; two cases showed infarct at the age of 21 years. CONCLUSIONS Coronary atherosclerosis was seen in 51.35% of cases starting at an early age of 21 years. There was a male predominance. The left anterior descending coronary artery was the most common coronary artery involved.
