Abstract
In 1986 of 15184 autopsies performed in the Mortuary Section of the Council of Forensic Medicine in the years 1983-1992 death was attributed to cardiovascular disease in 323 cases (17,12%). The victims were at or below 35 years of age. Only 16 individuals (4,95%) were younger than 16 years of age. 287 subjects (88,85%) were males and 36 (11,15%) females. In addition to numerous macroscopic findings observed in these 323 cases, the following microscopic alterations were detected on Haemotoxylin-Eosine-staining performed in 246 cases; hypertrophy in 130 (52,84%), scars in 53 (21,54%), interstitial fibrosis in 15 (6,09%), myocarditis in 10 (4,06%) and fresh myocardial infarction in 5 (2,03%), pericarditis in 5 (2,03%) cases as well as other findings. In 53 cases (21.54%) pathologic alterations were present on macroscopic examination; microscopic diagnosis, however, was not possible due to autolytic changes and putrefaction. In our study, nearly all childhood cases of death were attributed to congenital heart disease or valvular defects. In young individuals the lethal outcome was precipitated by strenous efforts, where as in the age group of 30 to 35 years, sudden cardiac death was mainly due to coronary disease. These results support other studies on this subject. Further important details of these cases with medico-legal relevance are also presented.
| Translated title of the contribution | Autopsy findings in cases of sudden cardiac death |
|---|---|
| Original language | Turkish |
| Pages (from-to) | 21-25 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Adli Tip Dergisi |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 1-4 |
| Publication status | Published - 1996 |
