Abstract Sudden death of an elite young during recreational sports activity is a devastating event for both the family and community. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one of the leading causes of death in such cases. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary disease of the myocardium in which the portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied without any obvious cause. It is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. The obstructive variant of HCM is most commonly involved in sports related sudden death. A 13 year old healthy adolescent without any family history brought dead to the emergency. Autopsy revealed an enlarged heart with asymmetrical left ventricular hypertrophy. Microscopy of left ventricular free wall showed hyperplastic muscle bundle and wavy muscle fibers. Sections of the interventricular septum showed extensive myocytic hypertrophy, myocytic fiber disarray and enlarged nucleus. No evidence of acute ischemic changes. The present report highlights a rare condition which is rarely reported by a forensic pathologist, which confirms that HCM is one of the types of cardiomyopathy causing sudden death during recreational physical activity in an elite young individual. Recommend standard autopsy guidelines and screening for first degree family members with necessary treatment/lifestyle modifications and further study on screening and genetics related to HCM.
Keywords: Sudden Death; Sports Activity; Cardiomyopathy; HCM; Autosomal Dominant; Genetic Screening.