title: Autopsy features in a newborn baby affected by a central congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
abstract: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a congenital malformation of the diaphragm, resulting in the herniation of the abdominal organs into the thoracic cavity. The most common types of congenital diaphragmatic hernia are Bochdalek hernia (postero-lateral hernia), Morgagni hernia (anterior defect), and diaphragm eventration (abnormal displacement of part or all of an otherwise intact diaphragm into the chest cavity). Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a life-threatening pathology in infants, and a major cause of death due to pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. We present a fatal case of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in a newborn. At the autopsy, a central defect of the diaphragm was found, 8 × 5 cm in size, that led to a herniation of the small intestine, the right lobe of the liver, and the right adrenal gland into the thorax. An esophageal atresia was associated with the congenital diaphragmatic hernia. The lungs showed severe hypoplasia and atelectasia. Physicians should pay attention to a prenatal diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in order to prevent newborn fatalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bolino
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy lorenzo_gitto@libero.it.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gitto
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Serenella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serinelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Aniello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maiese
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000002:abnormalities; D065630:Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male
keywords: Sudden infant death; autopsy findings; central defect; congenital diaphragmatic hernia; pulmonary hypoplasia