RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To examine 3 types of pathogens in dead fetus with congenital defects for exploring the pathogenesis. METHODS: The paraffin embeded brain and liver tissues from 39 fetal autopsies with congenital defects were examined for toxoplasma, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex II by polymerase chain reaction. Among them 16 placentae were examined as well. RESULTS: Pathogens were detected in 25 of 39 cases, a positive rate of 64%. Nine out of the 13 fetuses with urogenital defects were positive for the shove pathogens, while 8 from the 12 with neural tube defects were positive as well. CONCLUSION: Intrauterine infection was one of the important causes of birth defects. The characteristics of placenta morphologic changes were described, and the significance of placenta investigation in congenital malformation was emphasized.
