Acute Haemorrhagic Pancreatitis Leading to Sudden Unexpected Death - A Case Report and Review of Literature

Sudden death in young individuals is relatively uncommon and acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis as a cause of sudden and unexpected death is a rare phenomenon. The possible causal link between damage to the heart and acute pancreatitis and other pancreatic diseases has been considered in both adults and children, particularly in cases of sudden, unexpected death. However, the cardiac pathological findings so far reported in the literature are neither specific enough, nor of a kind to prove a direct pancreatic pathogenesis. A case of sudden death due to fatal myocardial infarction secondary to acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis is reported in a young male who was found dead at his house. The condition was discovered only at autopsy.