Rupture of dissecting aneurysm in a China Airlines co-pilot

Abstract

A 46-year-old male co-pilot of China Airlines developed shortness of breath during landing on a flight from Tokyo to Taipei on May 17, 1994. He was found dead shortly after landing. He was well and had passed his semi-annual health examination with no history of cardiovascular disease or hereditary disease. A dissecting aneurysm of DeBakey type I and cardiac tamponade with 200 ml blood inside the pericardial cavity during autopsy was noted. The right and left coronary arteries showed atherosclerotic changes with the lumen narrowing down to 30% in the anterior descending branch. Focal myocardial infarction with a healing scar, atheroma and arteriosclerosis of the small arteries including the kidney were observed. Nonspecific changes of the chest X-Ray and EKG with hyperlipoproteinemia suggests that a more advanced technique is required to carefully examine the heart condition during regular physical checkups to prevent sudden illness that might contribute to mass disaster.