title: [Sudden death during sport activity in Tunisia: autopsy study in 32 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop profile of the victims and to study circumstances, causes of death and autopsy findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of cases of sudden death in sport activity whose autopsy was performed in forensic department of Tunis, between January 2005 and December 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During study period, 32 cases of SD in sport activity were recorded. These are amateur athletes predominantly male (84% of cases). Victims are aged between 15 and 79 years with an average age of about 33.16 years. Young subjects whose age is less than 35 years representing 68.7% of cases. 9.3% of victims had a family history of SD and 18.7% of cases had a known cardiac history. The sports most involved are running (40.6% of cases), football (31.3% of cases) and dance (12.5% of cases). Sixty-nine percent of victims died during sports activities. Presence of witnesses was noted in all cases; however, none of these witnesses has begun resuscitation. Cause of death was cardiac in 84.4% of cases. In young athletes, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause (nine cases), followed by arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (three cases). Among other causes, there is the myocardial bridge, congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries, aortic dissection and dilated cardiomyopathy. Beyond 35 years, coronary artery diseases represent the cause of death (nine cases). Only case of death secondary to non-cardiac disease occurred after a severe asthma attack. In four cases (12.5%), no cause of death was identified after a complete autopsy accompanied by further investigations. The cause of the death was imputed to a rhythmic pathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study dealing with autopsy in SD in sport have provided a specific profile of victims. Other studies on larger samples and using standardized autopsy protocols are needed.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine légale, faculté de médecine de Tunis, université Tunis El Manar, hôpital Charles Nicolle de Tunis, 1006 Tunis, Tunisie. mohammad.allouche@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allouche
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boudriga
authors.forename: H Ben
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banasr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gloulou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhioua
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bouhajja
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baccar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamdoun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D001344:Autopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013177:Sports; D013224:Status Asthmaticus / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D014416:Tunisia