Diagnostic efficacy of cardiac troponin in post‐mortem examination of acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Major challenges for forensic experts include selectionof best effective diagnostic tests in the time sensitiveidentification of cause of death to avoid delay inpostmortem examination cases. Sudden cardiac deathdue to acute myocardial infarction constitutes asignificant portion of the autopsies that are conductedby forensic pathologists. Lack of specificity of clinicaland conventional markers causes misdiagnosis andprevents or delays in the detection. Conventionalbiochemical markers like creatine kinase (CK),myoglobin, and lactate dehydrogenase is no longer abest choice in the detection, because of their lowspecificity to cardiac injury. Recent reports indicatecardiac troponin as an extremely sensitive biochemicalmarker which can detect even microscopic zones ofmyocardial necrosis. We herein, review cardiactroponin as a biochemical marker in autopsy cases ofAMI and its impact on postmortem management thatwill lead to guidance for early detection with quick and reliable diagnostics methods.