Question

A 19 year old basketball player collapses as he is running down the court, during the semi-final game of the collegiate basketball association tournament. He is attended to immediately, but dies enroute to the hospital. The autopsy reveals hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is an example of:

1) Restrictive heart disease
2) Sudden cardiac death
3) Congestive heart failure
4) Heart disease caused by hypertension
5) Dilated heart disease

Answer 1

The 19-year-old basketball player's death enroute to the hospital after collapsing is an example of sudden cardiac death due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition causing a pathological enlargement of the heart.

Step-by-step explanation:

The situation described in the question is an example of sudden cardiac death rather than restrictive heart disease, congestive heart failure, heart disease caused by hypertension, or dilated heart disease. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, found in the autopsy of the basketball player, is characterized by a pathological enlargement of the heart, typically for an unknown reason, and can lead to sudden cardiac death in athletes.

This condition is not the same as broken heart syndrome, coronary artery disease or heart disease due to hypertension, but rather is a genetic disorder affecting the heart muscle itself, causing abnormal thickening which can lead to arrhythmias and sudden death.