Fetal autopsy: The most important contribution of pathology in a center for perinatal medicine

Objective: The aim of the current paper is to analyze the significant chang es in fetal autopsy made by pathologists in a center for perinatal medicine in response to the recent rapid developments in prenatal medicine. Methods : We use our technical equipment (interdisciplinary databank, Intranet, fin e instruments, imaging techniques) for prenatal diagnostics and fetal patho logy in the Center for Perinatal Medicine at the Charite University Medical Center in Berlin, Germany. Results: Our technical setup has made it possib le for us to plan autopsies in such a way that rare malformations in specia l cases can be documented in sectional planes corresponding to the prenatal sonographic images. Before the postmortem examination the pathologist rece ives all the prenatal findings obtained for the fetus and is able to examin e the prenatal images on a monitor. The final diagnosis in the postmortem r eport includes the results of modern molecular pathology, clinical-genetic examination of the fetus, cytogenetic and molecular-cytogenetic findings an d postmortem x-rays. Conclusions: To be able to incorporate these various r esults into a final report in routine work the use of an interdisciplinary database is essential. Such a database also ensures faster and more product ive interdisciplinary communication in a center of perinatal medicine. Copy right (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.