Bogdanović, Milenko (57203508508)Milenko (57203508508)BogdanovićPavlekić, Snežana (22035701700)Snežana (22035701700)PavlekićMilošević, Maja (57219411136)Maja (57219411136)MiloševićRadnić, Bojana (55245986600)Bojana (55245986600)RadnićLakčević, Jovana (57215874023)Jovana (57215874023)LakčevićVeljković, Stefan (57216083046)Stefan (57216083046)VeljkovićAlempijević, Djordje (55282549400)Djordje (55282549400)AlempijevićBabić, Miloš D. (57211453780)Miloš D. (57211453780)Babić2025-06-122025-06-122023https://doi.org/10.2298/VSP200922023Bhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85163276796&doi=10.2298%2fVSP200922023B&partnerID=40&md5=a355cbb9c5928a2d770857fb2adf987bhttps://remedy.med.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3081Introduction. Even though lipomas are the most common benign tumors, they are rarely found in the pericardial cavity. Although histopathologically benign, they can cause life-threatening complications by rapid growth and may therefore be clinically considered malignant. Case report. We present an 80-year-old female who was injured during a syncopal episode when falling from a standing height and suffered bodily injuries for which she was hospitalized. In the further course of her short-term hospital treatment, death occurred, and the cause of death was marked as “unknown”. At the autopsy, a dilated and tense pericardium filling up a large part of the chest cavity was noted. A well-encapsulated soft tissue mass, 20 × 18 × 3 cm in size, weighing 820 g, was visualized in the pericardial cavity. Histopathological examination revealed that the mass was a lipoma and showed acute myocardial necrosis; therefore, it was assumed that the cause of death was probably due to the compression of lipoma on coronary arteries. Conclusion. Even though intrapericardial lipomas are benign tumors, they can cause life-threatening complications and sudden cardiac death. There are numerous diagnostic methods capable of detecting intrapericardial lipomas, and with timely treatment, the patient can be cured. © 2023 Inst. Sci. inf., Univ. Defence in Belgrade. All rights reserved.autopsycause of deathdiagnosislipomamyocardial infarctionpericardiumsyncope