Three good reasons to perform a postmortem examination in all cases of juvenile sudden death]

The aim of this review is to underline the reasons why a post-mortem examination has to be performed in all cases of juvenile sudden death. Sudden death in children and young adults can be caused by potentially heritable cardiovascular disorders and fatal outcome is often the first symptom in apparently healthy subjects. In these cases, a careful autopsy, performed according to a standardized protocol, becomes the sole diagnostic tool to guide clinical and molecular genetic family screening and to adopt the proper therapeutic and preventive strategies. Thus, a post-mortem examination is a fundamental part of a multidisciplinary approach to the issue of juvenile sudden death.