New Autopsy Discovery: Hidden Heart Micro Scars After COVID Vaccination

This article discusses new findings of heart micro-scars after COVID-19 vaccination.

Micro Scars: The Silent Damage Inside the Heart

Most of us think of heart problems as something we can see or feel—a blocked artery, chest pain, or a heart attack. But what if the real danger is hidden?

Every year, thousands of people die suddenly from heart rhythm problems, also called arrhythmias. In many of these cases, doctors are left with no clear answers. The person seemed healthy. Their tests looked normal. So why did their heart suddenly stop?

A new study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in March 2025. It may finally have an answer.

For the first time, researchers found tiny, invisible scars—called “micro-scars”—scattered throughout the heart muscle during detailed autopsies. These micro-scars were not detectable by standard imaging or tests done while the person was alive. Yet they may have disrupted the heart’s electrical system enough to cause fatal rhythm problems.

This discovery could be a game-changer. It may explain many cases of sudden cardiac death in people with no history of heart disease—and open new doors for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

In this article, we’ll examine the study in more detail, share three real cases from the autopsy series, and discuss what this could mean for you and your loved ones.

II. The Study at a Glance: Heart Micro Scars Found

Between August 2023 and April 2024, pathologists in a Japanese hospital noticed something they had never seen before. There were tiny scars scattered in the heart muscles of three people. These individuals had died from unexplained cardiac arrest.

These patients did not have classic signs of a heart attack or major heart disease. But they all had something in common: multiple micro-scars (MMS) in their heart tissue.

These findings came to light during routine clinicopathology conferences—special hospital meetings where experts review unusual autopsy cases.

The team has not seen scarring like this in the past 30 years. It usually occurs only when the patient has had a major heart attack. These new scars were different; they were microscopic—invisible on standard heart scans like MRIs.

These microscopic scars were found in key areas of the heart:

• The left ventricle (the main pumping chamber)
• The junction where the pulmonary vein meets the left atrium and
• The right side of the heart, including the right atrium and right ventricle.

All three patients had experienced arrhythmias. These included atrial fibrillation or brief episodes of fast, irregular beats in the lower chambers (Non-Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia). This occurred before their sudden deaths. One had recently developed a new arrhythmia with no obvious cause.

And here’s another important detail:

• All three had received COVID-19 booster vaccinations, and one had a history of COVID-19 infection.

While this doesn’t prove the cause of the micro-scars, the researchers included it as part of the full medical picture.

Doctors say these micro-scars might cause fatal heart rhythm problems. They could be a hidden factor, especially in people who die suddenly and unexpectedly. Because the scars are so small, they don’t show up on routine tests.

The only way to find them is by carefully examining the heart tissue under a microscope. This must be done after death using special stains.

This is the first time a study has formally described such micro-scarring in people without heart attacks. It could lead to a major shift in how we think about arrhythmias. This discovery might also change our perspective on sudden cardiac arrest.

III. Case Summaries

Patient 1: A 75-Year-Old Woman With Lung Disease and Sudden Heart Failure

The first patient was a 75-year-old woman. She had been regularly visiting the hospital for bronchiectasis. This is a chronic lung condition that causes mucus buildup and infections.

One day, she collapsed at home from cardiopulmonary arrest. Her heart and breathing had stopped. She was rushed to the emergency room.

Doctors promptly began CPR, and after three cycles, they were able to restart her heart.

Once stabilized, doctors performed an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check her heart’s rhythm. They didn’t find any signs of a heart attack. However, they did notice irregular heartbeats.

This included premature ventricular contractions and short bursts of fast, abnormal rhythms in the lower chambers of her heart—known as nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.

Her blood tests showed that her heart enzymes were normal, which ruled out a classic heart attack. An ultrasound showed that her heart’s pumping strength was still good.

She was placed on blood pressure–boosting medications. She underwent a bronchoscopy (a scope to look inside her lungs). During this procedure, doctors removed a blood clot from her left lung.

Thankfully, they didn’t find any active bleeding. But despite aggressive treatment, her condition got worse. She developed multi-organ failure and later went into cardiac arrest again. This time, she could not be revived.

Her doctors couldn’t figure out the cause of the original cardiac arrest. She had no signs of a heart attack or severe heart disease. Because of these unanswered questions and the presence of unusual arrhythmias, her family agreed to an autopsy.

What the pathologists found was shocking. They discovered multiple microscopic scars scattered in her heart muscle. This was a discovery never seen before in patients without heart attacks.

These tiny, hidden scars may have been the trigger behind her sudden collapse and later rhythm problems.

Patient 2: A 91-Year-Old Woman With Heart Failure and a New Irregular Heartbeat

The second patient was a 91-year-old woman who had been hospitalized for heart failure two years earlier. At that time, doctors couldn’t find a clear reason why her heart had weakened. After receiving treatment, she was discharged with medications to protect her heart.

Unfortunately, her condition worsened, and she was readmitted to the hospital. This time, doctors noticed a new problem. She had developed atrial fibrillation. It is a type of irregular heartbeat where the upper chambers of the heart beat chaotically.

Her heart’s pumping ability was still preserved. It was measured as the left ventricular ejection fraction. Her heart rate was under control at around 60 beats per minute. However, her overall condition was declining.

She was treated with oxygen, diuretics to remove fluid buildup, and blood pressure support.

However, her body wasn’t responding well. Her urine output dropped, which was a sign that her organs were starting to fail.

After talking with her family, the medical team shifted the focus to comfort care, choosing not to pursue aggressive interventions. On the 12th day of her hospital stay, her blood pressure suddenly dropped, and she went into cardiac arrest. Sadly, she passed away.

Although she was elderly, her doctors and family wanted to understand more about why she had heart failure in the first place, especially since there had never been a clear explanation. Her family generously agreed to an autopsy in hopes of helping future patients.

What they found was unexpected. Her heart muscle showed multiple micro-scars. They are tiny patches of damage. These micro-scars may have silently disrupted her heart’s normal rhythm and function.

These microscopic scars were not the result of a heart attack and had never been detected before. They may have contributed to her atrial fibrillation and overall decline.

Patient 3: A 73-Year-Old Man Battling Lymphoma and COVID-19

The third patient was a 73-year-old man. He was undergoing treatment for T-cell lymphoma. This type of cancer had caused painful lumps under his skin.

He had received three rounds of chemotherapy at the hospital using strong medications like cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone. Thankfully, after treatment, his symptoms disappeared, and he was well enough to go home.

However, a year and three months later, the cancer returned, and the skin nodules came back. He was readmitted to the hospital for a fourth round of chemotherapy.

About a week into treatment, he developed a fever of around 100.4°F (38°C) and was diagnosed with COVID-19. The combination of the viral infection and his cancer flare-up made his condition much worse. He also began having abnormal heart rhythms, which were picked up by continuous heart monitoring.

With his overall health rapidly declining, the family and medical team decided to switch to comfort-focused care.

His condition continued to deteriorate, and he went into cardiac arrest and passed away.

Because his death was thought to be due to cancer, his family did not request a full investigation of the cause. However, they kindly agreed to an autopsy if the findings could help improve medical knowledge and education.

The autopsy revealed something unexpected: multiple micro-scars in his heart muscle, similar to those found in the two previous patients. These tiny, silent scars were not caused by a heart attack.

Given the combination of chemotherapy, COVID-19, and cancer, it’s not clear exactly what led to the scarring.

The findings suggest that even without major heart disease, these micro-scars may play a hidden role in heart rhythm problems.

IV. What These Findings Mean: A Closer Look at the Cardiac Micro Scars

The discovery of multiple micro-scars (MMS) in all three patients’ hearts was surprising and important.

During the autopsies, doctors didn’t just examine the heart. They also checked the lungs, liver, kidneys, and muscles for signs of disease. Yet, only the heart showed these unusual micro-scars. This focused pattern raised new and interesting questions.

To the naked eye, the hearts looked normal. There were no major blockages in the coronary arteries, and the heart muscle didn’t appear damaged from the outside.

However, under the microscope, the story changed dramatically. Using special stains, pathologists found tiny patches of scarring in key parts of the heart, including:

• The left and right ventricles (the heart’s lower chambers),
• The high right atrium (a part of the heart where abnormal rhythms often begin),
• The junction where the pulmonary vein meets the left atrium is significant. In people with atrial fibrillation, this region is commonly treated with catheter ablation.

The scars tended to show up more often on the inner layer of the heart muscle. They appeared closer to the tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen to the tissue.

When researchers measured the spacing between these scars, they noticed something else. The distance between the scars matched the size of the tiny capillary beds. These are the smallest blood vessels in the heart.

This suggests that the scarring may have resulted from inflammation in these capillaries. Clotting could have occurred at the same time, not gradually, over the years.

Could These Scars Be Linked to COVID-19 or Vaccination?

All three patients had received COVID-19 booster vaccinations, and one had COVID-19. Some international research has suggested that COVID-19 vaccines can, in rare cases, trigger heart rhythm problems. Possible reasons include:

• Molecular mimicry (where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue),
• Spike protein production, or
• An overactive inflammatory response, which might later cause scarring.

In these cases, it’s important to note that a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the vaccine and micro-scarring could not be proven. It could not be established. Still, the researchers believe that more studies are urgently needed to understand if there is a connection.

Learn more about the topics above from:

• SAR-CoV-2 embedded in human cells, IgG4, Autoimmune Diseases and Cancer
• Deadly Autoimmune Antibodies
• Complete Heart Block after the Pfizer COVID shot
• COVID-19, Autoimmunity and Vaccination, Part 1
• COVID-19, Autoimmunity, and Vaccination Part 2
• COVID-19, Autoimmunity, and Vaccination Part 3
• Molecular Mimicry between the SARS-CoV-2 and the Breathing Center
• Molecular mimicry between the spike protein and humans can shut down platelet production
• Autoimmune antibodies and diseases after COVID-19 disease and injections
• The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein cross-reacts with eleven human proteins to cause autoimmune diseases

Why Were the Scars Only Found in the Heart?

That’s one of the study’s most intriguing findings. Despite examining several organs, only the heart muscle showed this pattern of micro-scarring.

The size and distribution of the scars suggest that tiny blood clots (microthrombi) may have formed in the heart’s capillaries. However, they did not form in the capillaries of other organs like the kidneys.

This pattern does not match known clotting disorders like thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura or atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Instead, it points to a new kind of small-vessel injury limited to the heart—a form of thrombotic microangiopathy.

Looking Ahead: Hope for Early Detection

Right now, micro-scars can only be found after death through special staining under a microscope.

The study’s authors have a hopeful outlook. They hope future research will develop ways to detect these micro-scars in living patients. This could occur either through advanced imaging or blood tests. This could lead to earlier diagnosis and better prevention of fatal heart rhythm problems.

V. Conclusion: A New Clue in the Mystery of Sudden Cardiac Death

This groundbreaking study shines a light on a formerly unknown condition. Multiple micro-scars (MMS) in the heart muscle may help explain why some people suddenly go into cardiac arrest.

This happens even when they seem healthy and have no signs of major heart disease.

While the scars are too small to be seen with standard tests or scans, their location and pattern suggest a potential disruption to the heart’s electrical system. This could lead to dangerous arrhythmias.

These scars were found only in the heart. They were not present in other organs. This raises important questions about how and why they form.

All three patients in this study had experienced abnormal heart rhythms before death. MMS appeared in areas commonly linked to arrhythmias. Therefore, the researchers believe that cardiac MMS should be considered one of the possible hidden causes of cardiac arrest. This is particularly relevant when no other explanation is found.

At this point, it’s impossible to say what causes these micro-scars. There may be links to inflammation. Micro-clotting could also be a factor. Even immune responses triggered by infections or vaccinations might play a role. However, more research is needed.

Going forward, more extensive studies are needed to detect MMS before it’s too late. Advanced diagnostic tools are also necessary to understand better how this silent damage develops. The hope is that one day, we can find and treat these hidden scars early—before they lead to sudden death.

This research explains a lot of the excess deaths recorded after the COVID-19 jabs were rolled out.

Articles About to Excess Deaths

1. Excess Deaths In America: What Happened From 2020 To 2023
2. Excess Deaths in the US: 2023 and 2024
3. Excess Deaths in the Philippines in 2021 and 2022
4. The Most Complete Measure of Excess Deaths
5. Excess Deaths in a Small Parish
6. Cardiac Arrhythmias Explain Excess Deaths
7. The Rise in Deaths Among Canadian Doctors
8. Lincoln National Insurance paid out 163% more for deaths of working people ages 18-64 in 2021
9. Pfizer COVID shot Lot Numbers with the most deaths
10. Excess deaths continue in 2022
11. Excess deaths in Scotland 2021
12. More COVID jabbed dead from COVID-19 than the unvaxxed in Scotland
13. Above-average deaths of 5 to 74 years old for the year 2021
14. US data: High numbers of autopsies done in 2021 among 15-64 years old.
15. CDC data shows higher deaths from 25-54 years old in 2021 compared to 2018-2020
16. 145 countries with higher COVID-19 cases and deaths after the COVID shots
17. Indiana life insurance CEO says deaths are up 40% among people ages 18-64

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• How to Screen for Sudden Death
• All COVID shots Increase Risk of Sudden Death in those with SCNA5 Gene Variant

Reference:

Koizumi T, Ono M. Cardiac Multiple Micro-Scars: An Autopsy Study. JACC Case Rep. 2025 Mar 5;30(5):103083. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2024.103083. PMID: 40054932; PMCID: PMC11911845.

Image credit:

Atrial fibrillation – By J. Heuser – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=465397

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