Sudden unexpected death from natural diseases: Fifteen years' experience with 484 cases in Seychelles

•This is the largest population-based study on sudden natural deaths in Seychelles.•The sudden natural death happened more frequently in 40 and 50 years old males in Seychelles.•The coronary artery diseases/myocardial infarction were the most common cause of sudden natural deaths in Seychelles.

The aim of this study is to identify and subclassify sudden natural death (sudden death from natural diseases) cases in Seychelles. A total of 484 sudden natural death cases with autopsy at the Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Victoria Hospital, Seychelles between 1997 through 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 363 cases (75%) were male and 121 (25%) were female. The most frequent sudden deaths were attributed to cardiovascular diseases (78.5%), and then followed by infectious diseases (9.9%), and gastrointestinal diseases (9.1%). This is the largest population-based study on sudden natural deaths in Seychelles.