Often patients with IEM present in a morbid state and do not survive.
Organs rapidly deteriorate after death, particularly the liver.
Specimens should be collected within 1-2 hours following death or diagnostic studies may be impossible. Obtain 10-20 cc of blood. Freeze vitreous humor at -20 C. 4. Skin biopsy for fibroblast culture. Take samples for quick freezing with liquid nitrogen, glutaraldehyde fixation for electron microscopy, and formalin fixation for light microscopy.