Fatal suture embolism to the left anterior descending coronary artery. A case report and review of the literature.

A variety of emboli may be encountered at autopsy. While pulmonary thromboemboli are a relatively common cause of sudden "natural" death, the medical examiner may discover more exotic emboli during the postmortem examination. Other endogenous sources of emboli include the atheromatous debris, bone marrow, fat, liver, brain, trophoblast, and amniotic fluid.

Cardiomyopathy and myocarditis in children with ventricular ectopic rhythm.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the histologic features of the myocardium in children with abnormal ventricular ectopic rhythm but a structurally normal heart.

Background: Abnormal ventricular ectopic rhythm in children with a structurally normal heart is an uncommon but serious condition. Previous studies in adults with these findings have shown that approximately 10% have "primary electrical disease" and that 40% to 100% of these have abnormal histologic findings.

Myocardial necrosis in a newborn after long-term maternal subcutaneous terbutaline infusion for suppression of preterm labor.

We report a case of myocardial necrosis in a newborn after treatment of the mother with long-term subcutaneous terbutaline. No such serious side effects in the fetus have previously been reported. We speculate that this myocardial damage was due to beta-sympathomimetic therapy.

Effect of prenatal ethanol administration on the urogenital system of mice.

The purpose of the present series of studies was to determine whether an obstruction in the urogenital system or vesicoureteral reflux (reflux, the retrograde passage of urine from the bladder into the kidney) existed in mice prenatally exposed to ethanol which might account for the high incidence of hydronephrosis and hydroureter observed. In order to examine these possibilities, indigo carmine was injected into the bladder of 19-day fetuses previously exposed to ethanol on Day 10 of gestation and the presence of hydronephrosis and/or reflux determined. As expected, we found a greatly increased incidence of hydronephrosis and hydroureter.

Fetal cerebrohepatorenal (Zellweger) syndrome: dysmorphic, radiologic, biochemical, and pathologic findings in four affected fetuses.

Four fetuses with positive family histories for cerebrohepatorenal (Zellweger) syndrome (CHRS) underwent diagnostic amniocentesis or chorionic villus biopsy. Cultured amniocytes or fibroblasts from all of the fetuses displayed abnormal fatty acid ratios, and the parents elected therapeutic abortions. Dysmorphic features in one fetus consisted of micrognathia, proximal implantation of toes, and bilateral talipes equinovarus.