Amniotic band syndrome is an uncommon congenital pathological condition that may 
lead to malformations and foetal-infant death. We report an autoptic case. The 
patient was a male preterm infant. At 14 weeks of gestation, a routine 
ultrasonography showed severe craniofacial anomalies and a close contiguity of 
the foetal head with the amnios. The neonate survived three days, after which an 
autopsy was carried out. The infant had a frontoparietal meningoencephalocele; a 
fibrous band was attached to the skin, close to the meningoencephalocele base. 
Cleft lip and palate, nose deformation and agenesis of the right eye were also 
present. At the opening of the cranial cavity, occipital hyperostosis was 
observed. The herniated brain showed anatomical abnormalities that made 
identification of normal structures difficult. Microscopically, the nervous 
parenchyma had architectural disorganization and immaturity, and the fibrous 
band consisted of amniotic membranes. As evident from this case report, amniotic 
band syndrome may cause severe malformations and foetal-infant death.