Extramedullary haematopoiesis in liver of sudden infant death cases

Aims: To determine the frequency of extramedullary haematopoiesis (EMH) in sudden infant death and control cases, and to provide descriptive data on extramedullary haematopoietic islands and diffuse cells. Methods: The study was carried out in 51 SIDS and 102 non-SIDS cases. Liver-tissue sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, and immunohistochemistry was done with streptavidin–biotin–peroxidase complexes by Polyclonal Haemoglobin “A” antibody. The prevalence of data was estimated statistically by Pearson chi-square test, descriptive statistics, and Kruskal–Wallis test. Results: The Pearson chi-square values (CI: 95%; OR: 0.071–0.49; p: 0.0474) show higher frequency of EMH islands in SIDS than in controls. The number of diffuse extramedullary haematopoetic cells was higher in SIDS cases compared to non-SIDS (p = 0.017). Conclusions: EMH is a frequent finding in SIDS cases, and this may be a consequence of anaemia associated with intrauterine hypoxia, or infections.