title: Study of natural causes of death in medicolegal autopsies seen in University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a comprehensive report on the various causes of natural death in our centre and consider its implication for prevention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive cross sectional study of post mortem reports, autopsy registers and duplicate copies of death certificates of all cases of SND on which autopsy was performed on in UBTH, Benin City, between 1990 and 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 4481 medicolegal deaths autopsied during the period, 2734 (61.0%) cases were SND, involving 1614 males and 1120 females with a M:F ratio of 1:4:1. The modal age group was 25-44 years which accounted for 30.2% of the cases. Cardiovascular system diseases occurred most and accounted for 30.2% of all cases, with complications of hypertension accounting for 79.5% of all cardiovascular system diseases. Other causes of SND include; gastrointestinal/hepatic diseases, 15.1%; respiratory system diseases, 13.8%; genitourinary system diseases, 10.1%; immune/infectious diseases, 9.9% and endocrine/metabolic diseases, 7.7%. Less common causes are central nervous system diseases, haematolymphoid system diseases, breast diseases retroperitoneal diseases and musculoskeletal system disease each accounting for 6.6%, 5.4%, 0.7%, 0.4%, and 0.1% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiovascular system diseases, with complications of hypertension are the leading cause of SND in our environment. Public enlightenment on the need for routine medical health checks will help to reduce the incidence of SND.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Nwafor
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Igbe
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Akhiwu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D002423:Cause of Death; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003644:Death Certificates; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult