Cardiac Rhabdomyoma Presenting As Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

• NCJ Number: 118075
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 34 Issue: 3 Dated: (May 1989) Pages: 694-698
• Author(s): D A Rigle; R D Dexter; M B McGee
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A four-and-one-half month old infant, alledgedly dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is actually shown to have died from Cardiac rhabdomyoma. Health of the child had been good, and the pregnancy uncomplicated. Multiple cardiac lesions were noted during autopsy which was subsequently diagnosed as rhabdomyomas. Cardiac arrhythmia owing to these tumors were found to be the actual cause of death. The author maintains that to his knowledge, there have been no previous reports in the forensic science literature of cardiac rhabdomyoma presenting as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.