title: The thymic findings in stillborns with neural tube defects.
abstract: Neural tube defects are among the most common congenital anomalies causing perinatal deaths. Other organ system anomalies may be associated with neural tube defects: for instance, various types of thymus pathology have been reported in these patients. In this study thymic changes were investigated in 30 stillborns with neural tube defects seen between January 1988 and June 1989. Thymic weights were significantly reduced in 14 cases and increased in 7. One patient had a double thymus, and in two cases no thymus tissue could be found. These findings suggest a primary developmental defect of the neural crest, affecting the orderly development of the thymus gland.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Dicle, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Seniz
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D006801:Humans; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000002:abnormalities*