Ultrastructure of neurons of the human sympathetic ganglia after sudden death (morphometric study)

: Six cases of urgent autopsies after a sudden cardiac death (SCD) of persons at the age 40-60 years and 5 control cases have been investigated. Osmiophilic mitochondria with inclusions make 1% of the whole neuronal cytoplasm volume. If we take all mitochondria as 100%, volumetric density of mitochondria with osmiophilic inclusions makes 9.6%. Volumetric density of mitochondria at SCD in comparison with the control is significantly higher in connection with increase of their size. In other components of cytoplasm, in particular in lysosomes and lipofuscin, no changes are revealed.