[Autopsy of the fetus. Proposed investigatory strategy as a decision aid in the autopsy of fetues with special conditions].

Prenatal examination of fetuses can now yield excellent findings and, by means of Doppler technology, can also reveal functional changes. Despite progress in fetal diagnostics, quality control of prenatal diagnoses remains necessary since prenatal findings can be the basis for deciding whether to perform preterm abortion. This is possible only by autopsy, and therefore increasing demands for precision are being placed on autoptic procedures. This is particularly the case in malformations, which can be associated with a specific syndrome and then become decisive in the context of family counseling of the parents in question. The pathologist must therefore go beyond the requirements of a standard autopsy in order to obtain thorough findings with respect to the fetus and the placenta. We describe an examination strategy for the stepwise elucidation of special and rare fetal conditions the autopsy of fetuses that is intended to provide support in decision making.