Diaphragmatic muscle fibre necrosis in SIDS

Observations of acute muscle fibre necrosis, as seen in 242 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases is described. The lesion is a focal acute anoxic muscle fibre coagulative necrosis in some cases followed by myocytolysis, central vacuolation, macrophage and phagocytic cell infiltrate, stromal condensation and scarring.