Hyperplasia of the aorticopulmonary paraganglia : a new insight into the pathogenesis of sudden infant death syndrome?

In this study, the Authors search for morphologic alterations in the aorticopulmonary paraganglia (APP) of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) victims when compared with age-matched controls. Morphometric studies on serial sections of the APP were performed with an image analyzer in combination with a standard microscope attached to a video camera. APP hyperplasia, characterized by an increase in some parameters such as number, mean lobule diameter and total glomic tissue volume when compared with age-matched controls, was observed in 23.8% of SIDS victims. Similar alterations have been reported in peripheral chemoreceptors of animals and human beings who are chronically hypoxemic. In SIDS, it could reflect an abnormal chemoreceptor function, contributing to an altered respiration control.