Non‐atherosclerotic coronary pathology causing sudden death

Coronary atherosclerosis is responsible for >50% of all cases of sudden death and for 90% of sudden coronary death. Four cases encountered in routine autopsy evaluation at our institute in 2004 in which non‐atherosclerotic coronary pathology was responsible for sudden cardiac death are reported. The cases of a 31‐year‐old man with epicardial coronary arteritis, a 57‐year‐old man with intramyocardial vasculitis, a 45‐year‐old woman with spontaneous coronary dissection and a 50‐year‐old man with vascular fibrosis are described. Searching for non‐atherosclerotic coronary disease is relevant for both the clinician and the pathologist to prevent coronary causes of sudden death going unrecognised