Key result
Blunt chest trauma from a punch causes fatal acute proximal LAD dissection in a 43-year-old man.
Case Report (n=1)
This case highlights that blunt chest trauma during martial arts can lead to fatal acute coronary artery dissection.
Alerts clinicians to rare coronary dissection risk after martial arts trauma; single case leaves open incidence and prevention needs.
Coronary artery injury such as acute coronary dissection is an uncommon and potentially life-threatening complication after blunt chest trauma. The authors report an unusual autopsy case of a 43-year-old healthy man who suddenly collapsed after receiving a punch to the chest during the practice of kung fu. The occurrence of the punch was supported by the presence of one recent contusion on the left lateral chest area at the external examination and by areas of hemorrhage next to the left lateral intercostal spaces at the internal examination. The histological examination revealed the presence of an acute dissection of the proximal segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Only few cases of coronary artery dissection have been reported due to trauma during sports activities such as rugby and soccer games, but never during the practice of martial arts, sports usually considered as safe and responsible for only minor trauma.
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Barbesier et al. (2014) conducted a case report in Acute coronary artery dissection following blunt chest trauma (n=1). Blunt chest trauma (punch to the chest) was evaluated on Acute dissection of the proximal segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Blunt chest trauma from a punch during martial arts practice caused a fatal acute dissection of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery in a 43-year-old man.