Anthrometric dimensions and their impact on cardiovascular risk factors.

Central obesity is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness (ASATT) can be used to evaluate central obesity. The objective of this study was to compare ASATT with cardiovascular risk factors and other anthropometric parameters to show that ASATT can be a useful tool for the early assessment of heart disease risk. In this observational cross-sectional study, anthropometric measurements of 100 autopsied decedents, including waist circumference, hip circumference, waist/height and waist/hip ratio, aortic outlet and coronary artery atheroma plaque densities, heart weight, ventricular wall thickness, and ASATT, were assessed. The research data were evaluated using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences for Windows 25.0. The average ASATT of the male group was 40.36 mm (SD: 11.00), and the average of female cases was 46.34 mm (SD: 18.12). There was no statistically significant difference between the sexes and both age groups in terms of the ASATT score (P > .05). There was a positive correlation between ASATT and waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist/height ratio in both sexes (P < .05). While ASATT was not related to atheroma density in the coronary arteries of men (P > .05), it was correlated with atheroma density in all 3 coronary arteries of women (P < .05). In the male group, the aortic inner surface atheroma density was positively correlated with ASATT (P < .05). In both sexes, there was a positive correlation (P < .05) between ASATT and heart weight; however, no such correlation was observed with right and left ventricular wall thickness (P > .05). ASATT is related to other anthropometric measurements, atherosclerosis of critical vessels, and heart weight, and can be used to scan the patient population for heart disease risk assessment with noninvasive methods.

Causes of sudden neonatal mortality disclosed by autopsy and histopathological examination.

The neonatal period, or the first 28 days of life, is the most vulnerable time in a child's life. Neonatal mortality has decreased in recent years. However, this progress varies at the national level, which necessitates actual regional data from different countries to identify local handicaps for life-saving precautions. This study aimed to investigate the causes for neonatal deaths as revealed by autopsy and histopathological examinations. A retrospective cross-sectional study was designed to identify the main causes of neonatal deaths in children who were autopsied at our institution between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2021. Children who died within the first 28 days after birth (1-28 days of age) were referred to as neonatal cases. The main causes of neonatal death in children were determined via autopsy and histopathological and toxicological examinations. Furthermore, the causes of death were classified according to their manner of death. During this period, 122 neonatal children were autopsied at our institution. This group comprised 57 girls and 65 boys. For the manner of the death, natural causes were the most common cause (n = 91, 74.5%). Among natural causes, pneumonia (n = 66) was the leading one, representing 54% of all neonatal deaths, followed by perinatal conditions (n = 16, 13.1%). One of the pioneering reasons for death was sudden, unexpected postnatal collapse (n = 24, 19.6%), which was categorized under the undetermined group considering the manner of death. Unintentional (accidental) deaths accounted for 0.8% (n = 1) of total deaths, and intentional deaths were responsible for 6 neonates (4.9%) losses. This study shows that newborn children still die from simple and treatable infectious causes, probably arising from various familial and/or public inadequacies. In addition, sudden and unexpected postnatal collapse remains an important cause of neonatal mortality that has yet to be fully resolved. This study points out valuable inferences for caregivers and competent authorities to take preventive measures to prevent avoidable neonatal deaths.

Histopathological evaluation of autopsy cases with isolated pulmonary fat embolism (IPFE): is cardiopulmonary resuscitation a main cause of death in IPFE?

Background: Fat embolism (FE) may develop following many traumatic and atraumatic clinical conditions; however, fewer data exist regarding the occurrence of isolated pulmonary FE (IPFE). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure for maintaining blood circulation and oxygenation during cardiac arrest. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association of CPR with IPFE in autopsy cases. Methods: A total 402 cases among 4,118 autopsies were diagnosed with IPFE, and the medical background of these cases was retrospectively evaluated. Diagnosis of FE and FE grading were performed with histopathological examinations of postmortem tissue samples, and injury-severity scores of traumatic cases were assessed. Data of traumatic and atraumatic cases were statistically compared. Results: Of the IPFE cases, 298 (741%) were male and 104 (25.9%) female, with overall mean age 53.7 (2-99) years. Causes of death of studied subjects were traumatic for 302 (75.1%) and atraumatic reasons for 100 (24.9%) cases. CPR was performed for 277 cases of which 177 (63.9%) were traumatic and 100 (36.1%) were non-traumatic. In comparison to traumatic cases, significantly higher CPR frequency was determined in atraumatic IPFE (P=0.001). High grade FE in the traumatic cases, and mild-moderate grade of FE in the nontraumatic cases were found statistically significant (P=0.001). Conclusion: This study indicates that CPR may be one of the leading factors in the development of IPFE in atraumatic conditions, and this procedure was related to mild-moderate IPFE manifestations. Regardless of whether conditions were traumatic or atraumatic, in patients who survive following CPR for manifest ventilation/perfusion problems, it should be remembered that IPFE may have developed due to CPR.

Idiopathic giant cell myocarditis in a newborn: case report.

Idiopathic giant cell myocarditis (IGCM) is a rare cause of arrhythmia, heart failure and death in children. The etiology of IGCM is unknown. Endomyocardial biopsy and histological examination are essential for diagnosis. In our case, a one-month-old baby boy with no prior medical history died during breast-feeding. The gross autopsy and drug screen failed to disclose a cause of death. Hemotoxylen Eosin (H&E) stained cardiac tissue slides showed widespread and multifocal necrosis accompanied by mixed inflammatory infiltrate. Admixed with the infiltrate were fibroblastic proliferation and multinucleated giant cells in the absence of sarcoid like granuloma. Although myocarditis is usually thought to be a disease of older children, infants can also be affected. This entity can be the cause of some cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy.