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Table 1 Principal causes of death by system

From: An autopsy review of sudden unexpected natural deaths in a suburban Nigerian population

System

Causes of death (% per system)

No. of cases

(% of Total) N = 159

Male (108)

Female (51)

Cardiovascular (N = 45)

Hypertensive heart disease (64.4)

25

4

29 (18.2)

Coronary artery disease (15.6)

5

2

7 (4.4)

Dilated cardiomyopathy (6.7)

3

0

3 (1.9)

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (4.4)

2

0

2 (1.3)

Rheumatic heart disease (4.4)

1

1

2 (1.3)

Ruptured aortic aneurysm (2.2)

1

0

1 (0.6)

Constrictive pericarditis (2.2)

1

0

1 (0.6)

Respiratory (N = 29)

Bacterial pneumonia (34.4)

9

1

10 (6.3)

Aspiration pneumonitis (31.0)

7

2

9 (5.7)

Tuberculosis (17.2)

3

2

5 (3.1)

Asthma (17.2)

5

0

5 (3.1)

Central nervous (N = 20)

Intracerebral hemorrhage (60.0)

12

0

12 (7.5)

Pyogenic meningitis (30.0)

4

2

6 (3.8)

Epilepsy (5.0)

1

0

1 (0.6)

Carvenous sinus thrombosis (5.0)

0

1

1 (0.6)

Cancer-related death (N = 19)

Breast carcinoma (52.6)

0

10

10 (6.3)

Colorectal carcinoma (21.1)

4

0

4 (2.5)

Pancreatic carcinoma (5.3)

1

0

1 (0.6)

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (10.5)

1

1

2 (1.3)

Acute myeloid leukaemia (10.5)

0

2

2 (1.3)

Obstetric (N = 12)

Spontaneous abortion (58.3)

0

7

7 (4.4)

Ruptured tubal gestation (25.0)

0

3

3 (1.9)

Anemia in pregnancy (16.7)

0

2

2 (1.3)

Renal (N = 10)

Chronic glomerulonephritis (100.0)

8

2

10 (6.3)

Lymphoreticular (N = 5)

Sickle cell diseases (55.6)

2

3

5 (3.1)

Gastrointestinal (N = 6)

Gastroenteritis (50.0)

3

0

3 (1.9)

Perforated typhoid enteritis (33.3)

0

2

2 (1.3)

Perforated duodenal ulcer (16.7)

1

0

1 (0.6)

Endocrine (N = 8)

Diabetic ketoacidosis (100.0)

6

2

8 (5.0)

Miscellaneous (N = 5)

Tetanus (23.1)

1

2

3 (1.9)

Spontaneous splenic rupture (15.4)

2

0

2 (1.3)