Routine histological sectioning of the AV node is recommended in all sudden death autopsies to detect potentially lethal cystic tumours that may be missed on gross examination.
This study highlights that benign cardiac tumours are exceptionally uncommon yet potentially lethal. Careful examination of the heart will identify most of these lesions. A major exception, however, is cystic tumour of the AV node, the most common primary cardiac tumour causing sudden death. Since the gross findings of this lesion may be minimal, we recommend taking a routine section of the conducting system, including the AV node, in all cases of sudden death.
Patel et al. (Thu,) studied this question.