Ependymal Changes in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

The ependyma may befall a variety of pathogenic noxae during fetal life, resulting in histological changes which may persist after birth but are without clinical manifestations. Eight of a series of 19 children who died suddenly and unexpectedly, where no explanation as to the cause of death was fou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology 1996-03, Vol.55 (3), p.348-356
Main Authors: Lucena, Joaquín, Cruz-Sánchez, Félix F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Ependyma - pathology
Female
Frontal Lobe - pathology
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infants
Male
Medical sciences
Microglia - ultrastructure
Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes)
Nervous system as a whole
Neurology
Sudden Infant Death - pathology
Sudden infant death syndrome
Temporal Lobe - pathology
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Summary:The ependyma may befall a variety of pathogenic noxae during fetal life, resulting in histological changes which may persist after birth but are without clinical manifestations. Eight of a series of 19 children who died suddenly and unexpectedly, where no explanation as to the cause of death was found at autopsy, were shown to have diverse histological features involving the ependyma. Five μm paraffin-embedded brain tissue sections including frontal, temporal, occipital, and ventricular horns as well as the fourth ventricle were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and luxol fast blue (LFB). Immunohistochemical stains using antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin and S-100 were also performed. Findings included areas of denuded and/or desquamated ependyma, rosettes in different stages of formation, vacuoles and/or pseudocysts, inflammatory changes consisting in macro- and microglial nodules in the subependymal layer, and gliosis. Chronic brain edema was seen in 4 cases. Our findings indicate that ependymal changes in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases belong to the prenatal or early postnatal period, thus providing, indirectly, a morphological substrate for the previous existence of a noxa that may also affect other CNS areas, and thus being in the position to produce cardiorespiratory control dysfunction
ISSN:0022-3069
1554-6578
DOI:10.1097/00005072-199603000-00010