Cardiac Death

Cardiac death, in its sudden and unexpected form, is universally one of the most encountered tasks in autopsy routines. Despite advances in early diagnostics, therapy and prevention, cardiovascular deaths are still globally one of the greatest killers according to the mortality statistics. In investigation of suspected cardiac deaths, skilled dissection technique and thorough gross anatomic observations are important, but recent development of immunohistochemical staining technologies, and particularly genetic analysis have gained more significance in the detailed analysis of such deaths. Utilization of these tools in the post-mortem setting is also pivotal for further progress in cause of death investigations, as well as for clinical medicine. Such data from post-mortem investigation is of utmost importance for the family members, who may carry a risk for sudden and unexpected events in early life. This Chapter provides an overview of various types of cardiac conditions that may underlie sudden cardiac deaths, and which can be encountered in medico-legal autopsies.