Anatomo-Pathological Changes of the Cardiac Conduction System in Sudden Cardiac Death, Particularly in Infants: Advances over the Last 25 Years

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is defined as the unexpected death without an obvious noncardiac cause that occurs within one hour of witnessed symptom onset (established SCD) or within 24 h of unwitnessed symptom onset (probable SCD). In the USA, its incidence is 69/100,000 per year. Dysfunctions of the cardiac conduction and autonomic nervous systems are known to contribute to SCD pathogenesis, even if most clinicians and cardiovascular pathologists lack experience with detailed examination of the cardiac conduction system and fail to recognize lesions that are crucial to explain the SCD itself.
Source: Cardiovascular Pathology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research