[Sudden cardiovascular death in adults: Study of 361 autopsy cases].
OBJECTIVE
To describe epidemiological aspects of sudden cardiovascular death and to specify the etiopathogenic characteristics.


METHODS
Our study is retrospective and descriptive. It included 361 cases of sudden cardiovascular death, which underwent autopsy in forensic medicine department of Monastir during eight years, from 1st January 2004 to 31st December 2011.


RESULTS
The incidence of sudden cardiovascular death was 9 per 100,000 person. A marked male predominance was noted. The mean age was 55.75 years. In our series, myocardial infarction represents the leading cause of sudden cardiovascular death, 57.8% of cases. Other etiologies were hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (4.7%), heart failure (1.9%), arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (2.8%), valvular disease (2%), cardio-myo-pericarditis (1.9%), hydatid cyst of the heart (0.8%), ruptured aneurysm (2.5%), pulmonary embolism (1.9%) and aortic dissection (1.3%). A sudden cardiovascular death at work was found in 25 cases. These cases pose essentially a problem of imputability.


CONCLUSIONS
Sudden cardiac death is usually the complication of underlying heart disease, sometimes overlooked. Several risk factors are involved. Sudden cardiac death in healthy heart or death caused by arrhythmia is an important entity seeking the intervention of several actors (forensic doctor, cardiologist, geneticist, media…) for prevention.
Service de médecine légale, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine, université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie.
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Mesrati
Service de médecine légale, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine, université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie.
M
M
Belhadj
Service de médecine légale, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine, université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie. Electronic address: aissaoui_abir@yahoo.fr.
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A
Aissaoui
Service de médecine légale, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine, université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie.
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N
HajSalem
Service de médecine légale, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine, université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie.
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Oualha
Service de médecine légale, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine, université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie.
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M
Boughattas
Service de médecine légale, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine, université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie.
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I
Messaoudi
Service d'anatomie et de cytologie pathologique, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine, université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie.
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F
Hammedi
Service d'anatomie et de cytologie pathologique, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine, université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie.
A
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Zakhama
Service de médecine légale, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba, Monastir, Tunisie; Faculté de médecine, université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisie.
A
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Chadly
D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014416:Tunisia
Adult; Adulte; Autopsie; Autopsy; Cardiopathie; Epidemiology; Etiology; Heart disease; Mort subite cardiaque; Prevention; Prévention; Sudden cardiac death; Épidémiologie; Étiologie