PATHOMORPHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE INTEGRATED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ADRENAL GLAND AND THYMUS IN NEONATES WITH ADVANCED RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME

Background: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in newborns is a life-threatening pulmonary condition characterized by surfactant deficiency, alveolar collapse, hypoxia, and systemic stress responses. While the pulmonary features of RDS have been extensively studied, less attention has been paid to the morphofunctional integration of the adrenal gland and thymus, two central organs in neonatal stress physiology and immune regulation. Their structural alterations may play an essential role in the disease course. Objective: This study aims to describe the histological and pathomorphological changes of the adrenal gland and thymus in neonates diagnosed with advanced respiratory distress syndrome, and to analyze the integrative relationship between these organs. Methods: A descriptive, morphologically oriented study was conducted using adrenal and thymus specimens obtained during neonatal autopsies. Tissues were fixed in buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin, sectioned at 4–5 μm, and stained using hematoxylin–eosin, Masson’s trichrome, PAS, and immunohistochemical markers (ACTH-R, CD3, cytokeratin, Ki-67). Histological alterations were evaluated according to standard neonatal tissue morphology criteria.