Sudden cardiac death in an adolescent: A case of viral myocarditis

Abstract

Investigation of sudden deaths to find the cause of death is a challenging task for the pathologist. Cardiovascular conditions remain  the leading cause of sudden deaths globally. Underlying pathology in sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs) may be obvious in conditions  such as coronary artery diseases, cardiomyopathies etc., while findings may remain inconclusive during the autopsy. Viral myocarditis  as a cause of death in SCD is becoming a recognized contributor to unexplained mortality, especially in adolescents. The article  reports a rare case of SCD in a 17-year old adolescent male. The autopsy and histopathological findings identified the cause of death  as viral myocarditis.