A Case Study-Role of Heart Autopsy in Evaluating the Cause of Death

Histopathological examination of heart autopsies is routinely done in medicolegal cases to ascertain the cause of death. Cardiovascular disease is a class of diseases that involves the heart or blood vessels (arteries and veins). They remain the leading cause of deaths worldwide. It is also a major cause of disability. Heart autopsies are a great learning tool for clinicians, pathologists as well as forensic experts. The cardiac autopsies may have changed very little during the last 50 years , the pathologists role on cardiac team has changed dramatically . Present study was done between the period of 2009 - 2011 consisting of 50 cases highlighting the importance of heart autopsies to establish the cause and mode of death as well as a magnificent learning tool. Cardiomegaly was found to be the most common disease entity followed by myocardial infarction in the present study.