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The role of the molecular autopsy in sudden cardiac death in young individuals

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 21, pages 215–216 (2024)Cite this article

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A molecular autopsy is undertaken in cases of sudden cardiac death with no definitive cause found after conventional autopsy, with the aim of identifying a pathological genetic variant that could account for the death. Greater awareness of malignant arrhythmias in the absence of structural changes in inherited cardiomyopathies has increased the applicability of molecular autopsies, and resulted in improved care of families but new challenges for clinicians.

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Fig. 1: Pathways for the investigation of SCD in young individuals and care of surviving relatives.

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Acknowledgements

C.S. is the recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant (no. 2016822) and a New South Wales Health Cardiovascular Disease Clinician Scientist Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine and Heath, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Julia C. Isbister & Christopher Semsarian

  2. Department of Cardiology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Julia C. Isbister & Christopher Semsarian

  3. Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology at Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Christopher Semsarian

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  1. Julia C. Isbister
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Correspondence to Christopher Semsarian.

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Isbister, J.C., Semsarian, C. The role of the molecular autopsy in sudden cardiac death in young individuals. Nat Rev Cardiol 21, 215–216 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-024-00989-0

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