Ischemic Heart Disease Related Sudden Cardiac Death in Autopsied Cases

Diagnosis of the underlying cause of sudden unexpected death in a previously healthy individual remains one of the important challenges in forensic practice. Ischemic heart disease is the most common cause of sudden death. The current study aims to investigate the incidence and pathology of sudden ischemic cardiac death in Egypt. All cases of sudden cardiac death (SCD) examined by different forensic departments throughout Egypt during the period of January 2010 through December 2014 were included. Cases underwent complete autopsy examination including a thorough gross and microscopic examination of the heart and great blood vessels. Of 535 cases of SCD diagnosed during the period of the study, coronary atherosclerosis was the principle finding in 420 (78.5%) cases. The highest numbers of deaths were reported in fifth and sixth decades with male preference. Other causes of SCD included myocarditis, cardiomyopathies, valvular heart disease, and hypertensive heart disease (7.8%, 4.1%, 4.1%, and 2.8%, respectively). There was severe stenosis (>75%) of at least 1 coronary artery in 74% of cases. Type VI atherosclerosis was found in 40.7% of cases. The left anterior descending branch was the most affected artery by atherosclerosis. Acute coronary pathological events were demonstrated in 27.6% of cases. Recent myocardial infarction was evident in 55.5% of cases, whereas old infarcts were demonstrated in 44.5% of cases. Features of hypertensive heart disease were present in 18.3% of cases. In conclusion, ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of SCD in Egypt.