Methodological considerations for the study of sudden cardiac death: An autopsy protocol.

An autopsy protocol, devised specifically for the pathologic study of sudden cardiac death, is presented. In addition to providing guidelines for the precise clinical documentation of the patients studied, it emphasizes a number of areas of potential importance needing further and detailed exploration, including the cardiac conducting system, and the intramyocardial microvascular circulatory bed. Some of the problems and procedural approaches recommended are briefly discussed.