A 66-year-old woman collapses while shopping and expires suddenly of cardiac arrest. Her past medical history is significant for long-standing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Her relatives note that she had complained of chest heaviness and shortness of breath for the past 2 weeks. Sterile fibrinous pericarditis and pericardial effusion are observed at autopsy. What additional finding would be expected during autopsy of this patient?

Fibrinous pericarditis may develop 2 to 10 weeks after a transmural myocardial infarction. Patients with long-standing diabetes mellitus are particularly susceptible to coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. One fourth to one half of all nonfatal myocardial infarctions are asymptomatic. In such patients, sudden death usually reflects a cardiac arrhythmia. Right ventricular hypertrophy (choice E) may be encountered but is not related to the development of pericarditis.Diagnosis: Myocardial infarction