Sudden and Unexpected Natural Deaths in Adults

The first part of this chapter will provide an approach to the autopsy for natural deaths, highlighting the pitfalls and questions one may wish to consider when conducting the autopsy or preparing the subsequent Report for Postmortem Examination. In addition, it will survey the most common mechanisms of disease and the resultant pathophysiological aberrations that an individual may experience leading to death and what clinical and pathological features these mechanisms may present to the pathologist at the time of autopsy. The second part of this chapter will address the common central nervous system causes of sudden unexpected death.