Nalan Neşe1, Yeşim Bülbül2. 1. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Celal Bayar University, Manisa 45030, Turkey, Tel.: +90-236-4444228/1614, Fax: +90-236-2338040. 2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
Abstract
AIM: Autopsy is a beneficial procedure to determine the cause of death and the frequency of anomalies in perinatal losses. Even in the event of an autopsy not providing any additional information, completion of the procedure confirming the clinical diagnoses gives reassurance to both clinicians and parents. Here we present a 15-year archival study based on findings of perinatal autopsies. DESIGN AND METHODS: Four hundred and eighty-six cases from our archive were reviewed and according to the findings they were divided into three subcategories; (1) miscarriages (MCF); (2) fetuses terminated (FTA) for vital anomalies detected by prenatal ultrasonography; (3) premature or term newborns died within first month of life (neonates: NN). Autopsies were documented and classified according to week/age of cases, anomalies and causes of abortion or death. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-six of 486 cases (46.5%) were in MCF group while 227 (46.7%) and 33 (6.8%) were of them in FTA and NN groups, respectively. In FTA group, the most frequent anomaly detected was neural tube defects. In NN group, prematurity related complications were the most common cause of death. The autopsy process was found valuable in 39.7% of all cases. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that autopsy procedure is diagnostically valuable even in situations when there is USG findings that are confirming FTAs or there is no important major fetal or placental anomaly detected in MCFs.
AIM: Autopsy is a beneficial procedure to determine the cause of death and the frequency of anomalies in perinatal losses. Even in the event of an autopsy not providing any additional information, completion of the procedure confirming the clinical diagnoses gives reassurance to both clinicians and parents. Here we present a 15-year archival study based on findings of perinatal autopsies. DESIGN AND METHODS: Four hundred and eighty-six cases from our archive were reviewed and according to the findings they were divided into three subcategories; (1) miscarriages (MCF); (2) fetuses terminated (FTA) for vital anomalies detected by prenatal ultrasonography; (3) premature or term newborns died within first month of life (neonates: NN). Autopsies were documented and classified according to week/age of cases, anomalies and causes of abortion or death. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-six of 486 cases (46.5%) were in MCF group while 227 (46.7%) and 33 (6.8%) were of them in FTA and NN groups, respectively. In FTA group, the most frequent anomaly detected was neural tube defects. In NN group, prematurity related complications were the most common cause of death. The autopsy process was found valuable in 39.7% of all cases. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that autopsy procedure is diagnostically valuable even in situations when there is USG findings that are confirming FTAs or there is no important major fetal or placental anomaly detected in MCFs.
Authors: S C Shelmerdine; J C Hutchinson; L Ward; T Sekar; M T Ashworth; S Levine; N J Sebire; O J Arthurs Journal: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol Date: 2020-05 Impact factor: 7.299
Authors: Susan C Shelmerdine; J Ciaran Hutchinson; Celine Lewis; Ian C Simcock; Thivya Sekar; Neil J Sebire; Owen J Arthurs Journal: Insights Imaging Date: 2021-07-15