ABSTRACT
Radiography of the heart specimen disclosed heavy, calcific deposits in the epicardial coronary arteries and no calcific deposits in the mitral valve annulus or in the aortic valve cusps. The lumens of all four major coronary arteries were narrowed >95% in cross-sectional areas by atherosclerotic plaque. These deposits are most common in atherosclerotic plaques in the epicardial coronary arteries, on the ventricular aspects of the mitral valve cusps and on the aortic aspects of the aortic valve cusps. The unusual feature of the case described herein is that the quantity of calcium was massive in the epicardial coronary arteries and totally absent in the aortic valve cusps and in the mitral annulus. Patients with diabetes mellitus are recognized to have a higher frequency of calcific deposits in their coronary arteries and a larger quantity of calcific deposits in these arteries than similar aged and sexed patients without diabetes mellitus.
