Sudden intrauterine unexplained death: time to adopt uniform postmortem investigative guidelines?

Table 1 Overall neuropathological brainstem findings in 104 SIUDS and 44 controls

Brainstem structure	Alterations		SIUDS n (%)	CONTROLS n (%)
Brainstem structure	classification	specific	SIUDS n (%)	CONTROLS n (%)
Kölliker-Fuse nucleus	Morphological	hypoplasia, agenesis	61 (59%)	1 (2%)
Kölliker-Fuse nucleus	functional	<NeuN expression <Orexin expression	35 (34%) 31 (30%)	8 (18%) 2 (5%)
facial/ parafacial complex	morphological	hypoplasia, agenesis, neuronal immaturity	73 (70%)	3 (7%)
facial/ parafacial complex	functional	<NeuN expression < nAChRs	39 (37%) 41 (39%)	4 (9%) 0 (0%)
pre-Bötzinger nucleus	morphological	hypoplasia, agenesis, neuronal immaturity, <dendritic number	44 (42%)	0 (0%)
pre-Bötzinger nucleus	functional	< NeuN expression < nAChRs	62 (60%) 44 (42%)	2 (5%) 0 (0%)
intermediolateral nucleus	morphological	hypoplasia, agenesis	57 (55%)	2 (5%)
intermediolateral nucleus	functional	reactive gliosis >apoptosis	45 (43%) 34 (33%)	0 (0%) 4 (9%)
raphé nuclei	morphological	hypoplasia, agenesis^a	72 (69%)	5 (11%)
raphé nuclei	functional	< serotonin expression^a < nAChRs reactive gliosis	55 (53%) 35 (34%) 64 (62%)	2 (5%) 0 (0%) 5 (11%)

^aThese alterations were significantly related to 5-HTT polymorphism (L/S and L/L genotypes). This association was detected overall in 45 SIUDS cases (43%)

ISSN: 1471-2393