title: Diagnostic contribution of postmortem needle biopsies in neonates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the contribution of neonatal postmortem needle biopsy in circumstances of autopsy denial where magnetic resonance imaging cannot be performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  247 postmortem needle biopsy specimens of 76 neonatal cases who died in the neonatal intensive care ward of a tertiary hospital between 2005 and 2010 and where the family did not give permission for an autopsy were retrospectively evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  90 needle biopsy attempts (36.4%) were unsuccessful among the 247 biopsies. Liver needle biopsies were found to yield the most valuable diagnostic contribution. A total of 53 liver biopsies provided clinical information that contributed to the diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The postmortem needle biopsy should be applied in all cases in which standard biopsy cannot be performed. Success rates and level of information gained by extrahepatic needle organ biopsies in neonates were found to be quite low whereas needle biopsies of the liver yielded valuable results. We believe it is more appropriate to perform percutaneous postmortem biopsies solely on the liver in neonates.
authors: Department of Children's Health and Diseases, Adana Kozan State Hospital, Adana, Turkey.
authors: Özgü Suna
authors: ÖS
authors: Celıloğlu
authors: Can
authors: C
authors: Celıloğlu
authors: Erdal
authors: E
authors: Kurnaz
authors: Ramazan
authors: R
authors: Özdemır
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Karadağ
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers