European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: There is an increased in incidence of cardiac deaths especially among urban population. As postmortem analysis of heart is the sole way to study gross and histopathological changes in healthy and diseased heart, an autopsy study of heart was planned as. Cardiac autopsy is the gold standard, key education and diagnostic tool to study changes in normal and diseased heart. Materials and Methods: An observational study was done on medicolegal autopsy cases submitted over period of 2 years in Department of Pathology, at a tertiary care hospital. The clinical records were scanned for age, sex, mode of presentation, past history, the presence of risk factors and investigations if any. Morphology of hearts were studied in detail. Specimens were identified by notes & labels. After fixation of specimen in 10% formalin, grossing was done to obtain blocks and slides which were stained with haematoxylene & eosin. Results: Out of 603 autopsies, specimen of heart was received in 576 autopsies. Out of 576 cases, 361 cases showed pathology in heart, coronaries and aorta. Out of 361 cases, 267 (73.96%) were males and 94 (26.03%) were females. Cardiac pathology was more common in males than females. In present study majority of cardiac deaths manifested in 31-50 year age group.  Conclusion: Pathological changes in heart, coronaries and aorta are found in more than 60% of cardiac deaths. Males are more prone to such changes as compared to females