Congenital malformations in perinatal autopsy: a two-year prospective study.

Perinatal autopsy detects the cause of death and also finds the various types of congenital malformation involving one or more than one system. Congenital malformations are one of the leading causes of perinatal deaths and infant mortality. In the present study various visceral malformations were detected in perinatal autopsies and categorised them systemwise. The prospective study was conducted during the period of June 2007 to May 2009 consisting of 32 cases. Out of 32 perinatal deaths studied, 30 were stillborn and in 2 there were early neonatal deaths. In each case, an attempt was made to find out the congenital malformation in perinatal deaths and clinicopathological correlation was attempted after a detailed postmortem and histopathological study. Congenital malformations were seen in 10 cases which accounted for 31.2% of perinatal deaths. A total of 64 congenital malformations were observed in 10 cases. Malformations of the alimentary system (20.31%) were most common followed by genito-urinary system (18.75%), musculoskeletal system (17.18%) and central nervous system (9.37%). There were other 22 congenital anomalies. Two cases of harlequin icthyosis and one case each of Meckel Gruber syndrome, sirenomelia and twin reverse arterial perfusion syndrome were also seen. In many of the perinatal deaths, internal malformations were not suspected clinically. Thus, autopsy is an invaluable tool for detecting visceral malformations, adding to the clinical diagnosis and counselling the parents for subsequent pregnancy.