Table 1.
Summary of clinicopathologic information of the six patients with sudden unexplained death in childhood in this study
| Patient Number | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postnatal age at death | 25 months | 18 months | 55 months | 27 months | 17 months | 21 months |
| Sex | Male | Female | Female | Male | Male | Male |
| Race | Caucasian | Caucasian | Caucasian/Asian | Caucasian | Caucasian | Caucasian |
| Number of febrile seizures | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Age onset febrile seizures | 18 months | 8.5 months | 24 months | 22 months | 15 months | 12.5 months |
| Age at subsequent febrile seizures | 24 months | 9 months, 16 months | 27 months, 31 months, 33 months | 22 months | N/A | 19 months |
| Interval between febrile seizures and death | 3 weeks | 2 months | 2 months | 6 months | 2 months | 2.5 months |
| Fever within 48 hours of death | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Simple or complex febrile seizures | Simple | Simple | Simple | Simple | Simple | Simple |
| Time elapsed since most recent immunization | >2 weeks | >2 weeks | >2 weeks | >2 weeks | >2 weeks | >2 weeks |
| Birth history | ||||||
| Gestational age | 39.5 weeks | 41.5 weeks | 31.8 weeks | 39 weeks | 39 weeks | 36.3 weeks |
| Twin | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Details at death | ||||||
| Position found | Prone | Prone | Prone | Prone | Prone | Prone |
| Percentile length | 75th–90th | 90th | 5th–10th | 50th | 50th–75th | 75th |
| Percentile weight | N/A | 90th | 50th–75th | 95th | 25th | 75th–90th |
| Percent OFC | 90th–95th | 90th–95th | 25th–50th | N/A | 50th | N/A |
| Intrathoracic petechiae | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fresh brain weight (g)/ expected for length | 1450/1155 | 1230/1110 | 1225/1145 | 1130/1150 | 1130/1062 | 1550/1275 |
| Hippocampal anomaly | N/A | N/A | Asymmetry of hippocampi because of reduced volume of left hippocamus; thin pyramidal cell layer in CA3; interstitial neurons in bilateral cingulum | No gross or microscopic anomalies | N/A | No gross or microscopic anomalies |
| Other hippocampal abnormalities | N/A | N/A | No | Hypoxic-ischemic changes | N/A | No |
| Other brain abnormalities | Acute hypoxic-ischemic injury, transtentorial herniation | Cerebral edema; ectopic neurons in cerebral white matter | Cerebral edema; small, bilateral, acute subdural hematomas | Diffuse, acute hypoxic-ischemic injury; cerebral edema | None; limited sections available | White matter gliosis; subependymal gliosis |
Abbreviations:
N/A = Not available
OFC = Head circumference