"Death at the wheel" due to tuberculosis of the myocardium : a case report

Abstract

According to the WorldHealth Organization, an estimated 9 million people contracted tuberculosis (TB) with approximately 25% of TB cases being from Africa. TB was reported as the number one cause of natural death for the period 2011–2013 in South Africa. The first reported case of myocardial TB was in 1664 by Maurocordat and the first reported case of sudden cardiac death due to TB was made in 1977.We present a case report of myocardial TB in an apparently healthy, 35-year-old male who died suddenly while driving his car. The problems associated with the diagnosis of TB of the myocardium and an overview of the relevant literature is provided.