Negative autopsy and sudden cardiac death

Int J Legal Med. 2014 Jul;128(4):599-606. doi: 10.1007/s00414-014-0966-4. Epub 2014 Feb 16.

Abstract

Forensic medicine defines the unexplained sudden death as a death with a non-conclusive diagnosis after autopsy. Molecular diagnosis is being progressively incorporated in forensics, mainly due to improvement in genetics. New genetic technologies may help to identify the genetic cause of death, despite clinical interpretation of genetic data remains the current challenge. The identification of an inheritable defect responsible for arrhythmogenic syndromes could help to adopt preventive measures in family members, many of them asymptomatic but at risk of sudden death. This multidisciplinary translational research requires a specialized team.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / genetics
  • Autopsy
  • Cardiomyopathies / genetics
  • Channelopathies / genetics
  • DNA / isolation & purification
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / etiology*
  • Forensic Genetics
  • Genetic Testing
  • Humans
  • Medical History Taking
  • RNA, Messenger / isolation & purification
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • DNA