Fatal Outcome Due to Kounis Syndrome Following Fluorescein Retinal Angiography: A Case Report
Vincenzo Cianci,
Claudia Pitrone,
Daniela Sapienza,
Alessandro Meduri,
Antonio Ieni,
Patrizia Gualniera,
Alessio Asmundo,
Cristina Mondello
Affiliations
Vincenzo Cianci
Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
Claudia Pitrone
Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
Daniela Sapienza
Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
Alessandro Meduri
Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Ophthalmology, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
Antonio Ieni
Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
Patrizia Gualniera
Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
Alessio Asmundo
Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
Cristina Mondello
Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
Kounis Syndrome (KS) is a clinical entity triggered by allergic or hypersensitivity reactions capable of inducing acute coronary events. Several causes can induce KS, including drugs and insect stings. Here, a rare case of post mortem assessment of fatal KS related to fluorescein retinal angiography has been reported. An 80-year-old man in follow-up for a retinal vein thrombosis underwent a retinal fluoroangiography. Approximately 30 min later, the patient complained of sweating and dizziness, and suddenly lost consciousness due to a cardiac arrest. Despite the immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation, he died. The autopsy revealed foamy yellowish edema in the respiratory tract and coronary atherosclerosis with eccentric plaques partially obstructing the lumen. The routine histology highlighted lung emphysema and myocyte break-up with foci of contraction band necrosis at the myocardial tissue. Biochemistry showed increased serum tryptase, troponin, and p-BNP. Activated and degranulated (tryptase) mast cells were detected, using immunohistochemistry, in the larynx, lungs, spleen, and heart. Acute myocardial ischemia due to allergic coronary vasospasm related to fluorescein hypersensitivity has been assessed as cause of death. KS-related deaths are considered rare events, and the post mortem assessment of KS quite difficult. The integration of several investigations (gross and microscopic examination, biochemistry, immunohistochemistry) can provide useful findings to support the diagnosis, helping to reduce the unrecognized cases as much as possible.
