ABSTRACT
To determine frequency of pulmonary embolism as the cause of sudden death and to study clinical, epidemiological characteristics and risk factors. Prospective study of cases of sudden death secondary to pulmonary embolism, whose autopsy was performed in the forensic department of Tunis, between October 2009 and of September, 2011. During study period, 37 cases of pulmonary embolism were recorded. They represented 6.8 % of all cases of sudden cardiovascular deaths. Victims were male in most cases [65 %]. Victims were aged between 21 and 87 years with an average age of about 52 years. Pathological histories were noted in 9 cases: three cases of recent surgery, four cases of pelvic trauma, a case of ovarian tumor and a case of which the PE arose in post-partum. Concerning other risk factors of pulmonary embolism, confinement to bed was noted in 24 cases [64.8 %], obesity in 12 cases [32.4 %], an arterial high blood pressure in 4 cases. Histories of psychiatric pathology were noted in 5 cases [13.5 %]. Symptomatology preceding death was dominated by sudden death [35 %] followed by dyspnoea [30 %] and thoracic pains [16%] . In 8 cases, victims consulted emergencies within 48 hours preceding death, for a varied symptomatology without diagnosis of pulmonary embolism is suspected. At autopsy, in 30 cases embolism was massive. In 29 % of the cases, a deep venous thrombosis was revealing in particular at the primitive iliac veins. Pulmonary embolism is an affection that still kills a lot. It can benefit from prevention and from an effective treatment. This testifies the major importance of clinical diagnosis of pulmonary embolism as well as the technical means for the diagnosis