Sudden cardiac death in young adults

Abstract

Sudden cardiac death in young adults is the most dramatic and emotional moment of a persons life”. The sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the major cause of death in adults. The commonest cause of sudden cardiac death is coronary artery disease accounting for as many as 80% of cases, followed by cardiomyopathy in 10 to 15 %. Other causes account for 5 to 10 % of cases. Coronary artery disease is far less common cause of sudden cardiac death in young adults although it accounts for majority of deaths above 35 years. More recent studies indicate that the atherosclerotic process begins during childhood. Sudden deaths due to coronary artery disease in young adults are rarely reported. Here we are reviewing 11 cases of sudden cardiac death due to coronary atherosclerosis in young adults aged between 21 to 34 years, autopsied during a period of 2 year, from January 2011 to December 2012. With these cases we have tried to review the literature and discuss the SCD in young adults. Role of plaque disruption, plaque hemorrhage and thrombosis in acute coronary syndrome has been stressed and tried to relate with SCD in young persons. Importance of personal history, family history, meticulous autopsy and role of histopathological examination is of paramount importance in arriving at the final cause of death.