We explored the possibility of using postmortem MRI for the diagnostics of lung hypoplasia associated with innate diaphragmatic hernia in neonates. The main experimental group consisted of 17 newborns with innate diaphragmatic hernia including 10 non-operated newborns and 7 newborns died after surgery for innate diaphragmatic hernia. It was demonstrated that postmortem MRI allows objective quantitative assessment of the absolute and relative dimensions of the lungs in the thoracic cavity and thereby reveals their hypoplasia, which contributes to the determination of tanatogenesis. Surgery for congenital diaphragmatic hernia leads to an increase in the mass and volume of the lungs, but does not always eliminate their hypoplasia.
Keywords: autopsy; diaphragmatic hernia; lung hypoplasia; newborns; postmortem MRI.