Fetal autopsy on second trimester abortus whether spontaneous or induced is the single most useful investigation and provides information that changes or significantly adds to the clinical diagnosis in nearly half of cases. Fetal autopsy is most informative in the group of fetuses with dysmorphogenesis of embryonal onset, e.g. trisomy syndromes. It would not be useful where phenotypic presentation evolves only in post-natal life, e.g. neurofibromatosis 1. Fetal autopsy is limited by the sheer small size and autolytic degeneration that may preclude morphological assessment. The lack of interest and expertise in this area of perinatal pathology is also another limitation.
