University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications
Title
Post-mortem genetic testing in a family with long-QT syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology
Publication Date
2014-03-01
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Adolescent; Autopsy; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic, Familial; Cardiovascular Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Death, Sudden, Cardiac; Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels; Fatal Outcome; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; *Genetic Testing; Humans; Long QT Syndrome; Male; *Mutation, Missense; Pedigree; Predictive Value of Tests; Troponin T
Disciplines
Cardiology | Cardiovascular Diseases | Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities | Pathology | Pediatrics
Abstract
Pediatric sudden unexplained deaths are rare and tragic events that should be evaluated with all the tools available to the medical community. The current state of genetic testing is an excellent resource that improves our ability to diagnose cardiovascular disorders that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Post-mortem genetic testing is not typically a covered benefit of health insurance and may not be offered to families in the setting of a negative autopsy. This unusual case includes two separate cardiovascular disorders that highlight the use of genetic testing and its role in diagnosis, screening, and risk stratification. The insurance company's decision to cover post-mortem testing demonstrated both compassion as well as an understanding of the long-term cost effectiveness.
Keywords
Familial cardiomyopathy screening, Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Long QT syndrome, Post-mortem genetic testing, Sudden cardiac arrest
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/j.carpath.2013.11.003
Source
Cardiovasc Pathol. 2014 Mar-Apr;23(2):107-9. doi: 10.1016/j.carpath.2013.11.003. Link to article on publisher's site.
Related Resources
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Cardiovascular pathology : the official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology
PubMed ID
24322056
Repository Citation
Kane, David A. and Triedman, John, "Post-mortem genetic testing in a family with long-QT syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy" (2014). University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications. 798.
https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/faculty_pubs/798