Occlusive lesions of cardiac conducting tissue arteries in sudden infant death syndrome.

Cardiac conducting tissue from the hearts of 40 victims of sudden infant death syndrome was examined microscopically by serial section. In five hearts there were marked narrowing of the major artery supplying the atrioventricular node. In another there was similar narrowing of the artery supplying the sinus node. The arterial lesions were focal and characterized by cellular intimal thickening which severely narrowed the vessel lumen. This arterial anomaly may be a contributory factor in the pathogenesis of some cases of sudden infant death.