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Pelletti G, Leone O, Gavelli S, Rossi C, Foà A, Agostini V, Pelotti S. Sudden Unexpected Death after a mild trauma: The complex forensic interpretation of cardiac and genetic findings. Forensic Sci Int 2021; 328:111004. [PMID: 34597909 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.111004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
A 55-year-old man affected by a psychotic disorder suddenly died during a quarrel with his father. The autopsy excluded traumatic causes of death, and the cardiac examination identified a severe cardiomegaly with biventricular dilatation of very likely multifactorial origin. Toxicological and pharmacogenetic analyses excluded a fatal intoxication and identified the presence of the antipsychotic drug fluphenazine in the therapeutic range in a normal metabolizer. The screening for genetic variations highlighted a novel heterozygous single-nucleotide variant in the exon 36: c 0.4750C>A (p.Pro1584Thr) of the Ryanodine Receptor Type 2 (RYR2) gene. The mutation detected can be classified as Likely Pathogenic according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) criteria. RYR2 variation has been associated to catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), a disease currently recognized as one of the most malignant cardiac channelopathies, expressed mostly in young patients, normally in the absence of structural heart disease. The victim late middle age, compared to juvenile onset of CPVT reported in literature, his clinical history, his structurally altered heart, circumstances at death and the absence of phenotype-related variations of dilated cardiomyopathy genes, suggested that the fatal arrhythmia could have been caused by an acquired form of dilated cardiopathy/cardiomyopathy. However, the contribution of the genetic variant to death cannot be completely ruled out, since the significance of a VUS or of a novel variant depends on the data available at the time of investigation, and should be periodically evaluated. We discuss the contribution of the structural alteration and of the variant detected, as well as the role of the molecular autopsy in forensic examination, which can make a significant contribution for inferring both cause and manner of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Pelletti
- Unit of Legal Medicine, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Ornella Leone
- Cardiovascular Pathology Unit, Division of Pathology, IRCCS S.Orsola Hospital and University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Simone Gavelli
- Unit of Legal Medicine, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Cesare Rossi
- Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Alberto Foà
- Cardiology Unit, Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, IRCCS S. Orsola Hospital and University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Valentina Agostini
- Cardiovascular Pathology Unit, Division of Pathology, IRCCS S.Orsola Hospital and University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Susi Pelotti
- Unit of Legal Medicine, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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Sessa F, Esposito M, Messina G, Di Mizio G, Di Nunno N, Salerno M. Sudden Death in Adults: A Practical Flow Chart for Pathologist Guidance. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:870. [PMID: 34356248 PMCID: PMC8307931 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9070870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The medico-legal term "sudden death (SD)" refers to those deaths that are not preceded by significant symptoms. SD in apparently healthy individuals (newborn through to adults) represents a challenge for medical examiners, law enforcement officers, and society as a whole. This review aims to introduce a useful flowchart that should be applied in all cases of SD. Particularly, this flowchart mixes the data obtained through an up-to-date literature review and a revision of the latest version of guidelines for autopsy investigation of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in order to support medico-legal investigation. In light of this review, following the suggested flowchart step-by-step, the forensic pathologist will be able to apply all the indications of the scientific community to real cases. Moreover, it will be possible to answer all questions relative to SD, such as: death may be attributable to cardiac disease or to other causes, the nature of the cardiac disease (defining whether the mechanism was arrhythmic or mechanical), whether the condition causing SD may be inherited (with subsequent genetic counseling), the assumption of toxic or illicit drugs, traumas, and other unnatural causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Sessa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy;
| | - Massimiliano Esposito
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Giovanni Messina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy;
| | - Giulio Di Mizio
- Forensic Medicine, Department of Law, Economy and Sociology, Campus “S. Venuta”, Magna Graecia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Nunzio Di Nunno
- Department of History, Society and Studies on Humanity, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
| | - Monica Salerno
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.E.); (M.S.)
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Grassi S, Campuzano O, Coll M, Brión M, Arena V, Iglesias A, Carracedo Á, Brugada R, Oliva A. Genetic variants of uncertain significance: How to match scientific rigour and standard of proof in sudden cardiac death? Leg Med (Tokyo) 2020; 45:101712. [PMID: 32361481 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2020.101712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In many SCD cases, in particular in pediatric age, autopsy can be completely negative and then a post-mortem genetic testing (molecular autopsy) is indicated. In NGS era finding new/rare variants is extremely frequent and, when only variants of unknown significance are found, molecular autopsy fails to find a cause of death. We describe the emblematic case of the sudden death of a 7-year-old girl. We performed a full-body micro-CT analysis, an accurate autopsy, a serum tryptase test and toxicological tests. Since the only macroscopic abnormality we found was a myocardial bridging (length: 1,1 cm, thickness: 0,5 cm) of the left anterior descending coronary artery, a molecular autopsy has been performed. NGS analysis on victim DNA detected rare variants in DPP6, MYH7, SCN2B and NOTCH1 and segregation analysis was then achieved. On the basis of ACMG/AMP (clinical) guidelines, all the found variants were classified as of unknown significance. In other words, both the macroscopic and genetic anomalies we found were of uncertain significance and then the autopsy failed to find the cause of the death. Our case raises three main discussion points: (a) economical, ethical and legal limitations of genetic investigation; (b) risk that genetic testing does not succeed in finding a certain cause of the death; (c) absence of specific guidelines to face the problem of VUS in forensic cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Grassi
- Institute of Public Health, Section of Legal Medicine, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
| | - Oscar Campuzano
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona, Spain; Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; Centro Investigación Biomédica Red Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mònica Coll
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona, Spain
| | - María Brión
- Genetics of Cardiovascular and Ophthalmological Diseases, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Genomic Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, IDIS, CIBERER, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Vincenzo Arena
- Institute of Anatomical Pathology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Iglesias
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona, Spain
| | - Ángel Carracedo
- Genomic Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, IDIS, CIBERER, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ramon Brugada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona, Spain; Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; Centro Investigación Biomédica Red Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain; Cardiology Service, Hospital Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain
| | - Antonio Oliva
- Institute of Public Health, Section of Legal Medicine, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
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Sudden Cardiac Death and Copy Number Variants: What Do We Know after 10 Years of Genetic Analysis? Forensic Sci Int Genet 2020; 47:102281. [PMID: 32248082 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2020.102281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Over the last ten years, analysis of copy number variants has increasingly been applied to the study of arrhythmogenic pathologies associated with sudden death, mainly due to significant advances in the field of massive genetic sequencing. Nevertheless, few published reports have focused on the prevalence of copy number variants associated with sudden cardiac death. As a result, the frequency of these genetic alterations in arrhythmogenic diseases as well as their genetic interpretation and clinical translation has not been established. This review summarizes the current available data concerning copy number variants in sudden cardiac death-related diseases.
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Pigolkin YI, Shilova MA, Berezovskiy DP, Egorov VN, Tayutina TV, Bachurin SS, Kolomoets IA. [Molecular genetic basis of sudden cardiac death in the young with cardiomyopathy of various origins]. Sud Med Ekspert 2019; 62:48-53. [PMID: 31198205 DOI: 10.17116/sudmed20196203148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This paper provides a review of the modern literature devoted to the problem of forensic medical interpretation of the molecular genetic research of the young who died suddenly. The authors attempted to draw a parallel between the morphological markers of different variants of cardiomyopathy as the most common disease in sudden death at a young age and the association with genetic mutations in the genes responsible for the synthesis of sarcomer proteins, desmos and membrane channels. Based on the results of the analysis, further research is proposed to improve the accuracy of forensic diagnosis in cases of young deaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu I Pigolkin
- Department of Forensic Medicine of the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University under Ministry of Health of the Russia, Moscow, Russia, 119991
| | - M A Shilova
- Department of Forensic Medicine of the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University under Ministry of Health of the Russia, Moscow, Russia, 119991
| | - D P Berezovskiy
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Medical Law of the Rostov State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russia, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, 344022
| | - V N Egorov
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Medical Law of the Rostov State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russia, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, 344022
| | - T V Tayutina
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Medical Law of the Rostov State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russia, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, 344022
| | - S S Bachurin
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Medical Law of the Rostov State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russia, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, 344022
| | - I A Kolomoets
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Medical Law of the Rostov State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russia, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, 344022
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