title: Cardiovascular malformations and sudden death in infancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We survey the postmortem findings of cardiovascular malformations in infants under the age of 1 year who died suddenly and unexpectedly, in a way that mimicked sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and evaluate the importance of the malformation for the fatal outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred fifty-seven infants under the age of 1 year, who died between 1982 and 2001, were investigated at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Stockholm, Sweden.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cardiovascular malformations were found in 18 infants (3.9%). Only 6 of 18 malformations, mostly severe, were clinically diagnosed before death. In the other 12 infants, cardiovascular malformations were found, such as atrial or ventricular septal defects, coarctation of aorta, stenosis of the aortic or pulmonary artery orifice, and aneurysm of the membranous portion of the interventricular septum. In all instances, the heart weight was increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observation of undiagnosed cardiovascular malformations as the only explanation for the cause of sudden and unexpected death in apparently healthy infants may advocate more examinations of the infant during early life. It is also important to enlarge the debate of the cause of death in infants with cardiovascular malformations. Should they be included in borderline SIDS?
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Pathology, Division of Forensic Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. petra.almqvist@rmv.se
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Råsten-Almqvist
authors.forename: Jovan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajs
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004719:Endomyocardial Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013548:Sweden