Sudden unexpected death in early Parkinson's disease: neurogenic or cardiac death?

We present two cases of sudden unexpected death (SUD) in elderly individuals in whom autopsy unexpectedly showed Lewy pathology, a hallmark of Parkinson's disease. Both individuals were 68-year-old males who were found dead in their homes without lethal trauma or poisoning. Inquests into their deaths suggested that non-motor cardiovascular signs of Parkinson's disease might have appeared just before their deaths, although few typical motor signs were present. Autopsy showed Lewy pathology in the heart and peripheral autonomic nervous system in addition to lesser involvement of the brainstem that was consistent with Braak stage 3.
Source: Cardiovascular Pathology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Case report Source Type: research