Abstract
Immunohistochemical and molecular-pathological techniques have improved the diagnosis, but the incidence of virus-induced lethal myocarditis still remains unclear. Therefore, it is of great interest to investigate postmortem myocardial samples in cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Adenoviruses and Epstein–Barr viruses are known as possible agents of myocarditis. Viral DNAs were specifically isolated and amplified from formaldehyde-fixed material. At autopsy, myocardial samples were taken from 62 SIDS cases from different regions and investigated with PCR. Adenoviral DNA was detected in 2/62 and Epstein–Barr viruses in 3/62 cases. Our results emphasize the importance of modern molecular-pathological methods in cases of sudden unexpected death.
Published Version
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