Fetal autopsy
The fetal autopsy is done to determine the cause of death in a fetus. An introduction to the autopsy is in the autopsy article.
External exam
Post-mortem changes
Sequences of changes with intrauterine death:[1]
- Normal ~0-12 hours.
- Skin blistering - usu. prominent on head ~12-48 hours.
- Moderate skin separation (sloughing) - usu. hands & feet ~48-72 hours
- Massive skin separation and loosing of symphysis menti (midline mandible), symphysis pubis ~72+ hours.
Common measures[2]
- Body mass (weight).
- Crown-to-heel length.
- Crown-to-rump length.
- Occipito-frontal circumference.
- Chest circumference.
- Abdominal circumference.
Routinue sections
- Rib.
- Thymus, skin, diaphragm, psoas muscle.
- Rectum, duodenum, ileocecal region, mesentery.
- Adrenal gland.
- Kidney.
- Bladder.
- Internal genitalia.
- Spleen.
- Stomach, GE junction, GD junction, pancreas.
- Liver.
- Right lung.
- Left lung.
- Heart.
- Upper airway with thyroid.
- Pituitary.
Histology
Adrenal gland
- Centre regresses.
Kidney
- Cortex regresses.
Lung
- PMNs may be seen in chorioamnionitis.
Thymus
- Hassall's corpuscles (thymic corpuscle).
Image: Thymic corpuscle (WC).
See also
References
- ↑ Burton, Julian L.; Rutty, Guy N. (2010). The Hospital Autopsy A Manual of Fundamental Autopsy Practice (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 191. ISBN 978-0340965146.
- ↑ Burton, Julian L.; Rutty, Guy N. (2010). The Hospital Autopsy A Manual of Fundamental Autopsy Practice (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 196. ISBN 978-0340965146.