Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

The sudden cardiac death (SCD) of a young athlete is a catastrophic event, particularly in the absence of prodromal warning symptoms. Anomalous coronary origin (ACO) is a well-described cause of cardiac symptoms and SCD, but the diagnosis is usually missed by conventional non-invasive investigations designed to identify myocardial ischaemia. SCD is preventable by correction of the anomaly. A tragic case of a promising young athlete who had underlying ACO and who presented with prodromal symptoms with multiple "negative" investigations is described to highlight the typical clinical features and outline the difficulties encountered in accurate premortem diagnosis.

Original publication

DOI

10.1136/bjsm.2008.054387

Type

Journal article

Journal

Br J Sports Med

Publication Date

09/2010

Volume

44

Pages

895 - 897

Keywords

Adolescent, Autopsy, Coronary Vessel Anomalies, Death, Sudden, Cardiac, Echocardiography, Electrocardiography, Exercise Test, Fatal Outcome, Humans, Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular, Male, Soccer