Histopathology of the conduction system in sudden infant death. 1998

M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
Institute of Toxicology, Histopathology Section, Madrid, Spain.

Because ventricular fibrillation or other arrhythmia have been suggested as a cause of unexplained sudden infant death, many authors focused their studies on the conduction system especially in the 1970s. These studies were not conclusive and many pathologists have abandoned the study of the conduction system. We have reviewed the conduction system of 87 sudden infant death cases between 15 days and 1 year old: 55 were SIDS cases; 17 had mild lesions insufficient to explain death and 15 cases were sudden explained deaths considered as controls. Fetal dispersion of the AV node and/or His bundle and left-sided His bundle, the most frequent findings in the three groups, can be considered normal variations. Nodoventricular tracts were observed in five cases from the three groups whereas fasciculoventricular tracts were present in seven cases of the SIDS group, one case of the second group and in no controls. We consider the possible pathologic significance of this accessory pathway in some SIDS cases. Other infrequent lesions were fibromuscular hyperplasia of AV node artery and His bundle hemorrhage in one SIDS case each; lymphocytic infiltration of the conduction system in one SIDS case and one case with myocarditis and left bundle branch fibrosis in a female infant with endocardial fibroelastosis.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008297 Male Males
D005260 Female Females
D006329 Heart Conduction System An impulse-conducting system composed of modified cardiac muscle, having the power of spontaneous rhythmicity and conduction more highly developed than the rest of the heart. Conduction System, Heart,Conduction Systems, Heart,Heart Conduction Systems,System, Heart Conduction,Systems, Heart Conduction
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013398 Sudden Infant Death The abrupt and unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant under one year of age, remaining unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history. (Pediatr Pathol 1991 Sep-Oct;11(5):677-84) Cot Death,Crib Death,SIDS,Death, Sudden Infant,SID,Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,Cot Deaths,Death, Cot,Death, Crib,Infant Death, Sudden

Related Publications

M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
January 1976, Circulation,
M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
May 1983, Japanese circulation journal,
M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
January 2008, Cardiovascular pathology : the official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology,
M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
March 1975, Circulation,
M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
December 1987, Journal of the American College of Cardiology,
M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
January 2000, Cardiovascular pathology : the official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology,
M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
October 1976, Pathology,
M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
April 1994, Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology,
M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
January 1985, Pediatric cardiology,
M Paz Suárez-Mier, and B Aguilera
November 1973, The New England journal of medicine,
Copied contents to your clipboard!