Evaluation of Fetal and Neonatal Autopsy Results: 5-Year Experience

Objective: To analyse fetal and neonatal autopsies we performed within a period of 5 years in our department. Method: In our pathology department 587 fetal and neonatal autopsies performed in 5 years were analysed and documented according to maternal age, sex distribution, fetal autopsy diagnoses and congenital anomalies detected. Results: An average total annual number of 117 fetal and neonatal autopsies are performed in our department. When the distribution of diagnosis of fetal autopsy cases was examined, congenital anomalies were detected in 53.7% of the cases. Hydrops fetalis was the second most commonly observed diagnosis with 6.2%, followed by anoxia-related changes in 4.4% of the patients. In 87 (14.8%) cases, a limited evaluation was made due to autolysis. No pathology was found in 13.7% of the cases. Central nervous system anomalies were the most frequently found entities (32.9%), followed by skeletal system (11.5%) and urinary tract anomalies (10.7%). Conclusion: Perinatal autopsy provides important information in determining the causes of deaths in the perinatal and neonatal period, and in monitoring future pregnancies and determining the risk of recurrence of diseases.