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Histopathological Study of Incidental Neoplastic Lesions in Autopsy Cases: A Retrospective Observational Study in a Tertiary Care Centre

Devanshi Shah, Manjusha Dhawle, Shweta Watane, Abhishek Muley, Ashwini Waso, Abhishikta Misra, Sushma Ramraje

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Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology 19(1):p 21-27, Jan - March 2026. | DOI: https://doi.org/10.21088/ijfmp.0974.3383.19126.3

How Cite This Article:

Manjusha D, Shweta W, Abhishek M, et al. Histopathological Study of Incidental Neoplastic Lesions in Autopsy Cases: A Retrospective Observational Study in a Tertiary Care Centre. Indian J Forensic Med Pathol. 2026;19(1):21-27.

Timeline

Received : November 05, 2025         Accepted : January 25, 2026          Published : March 30, 2026

Abstract

Context: Autopsy remains an invaluable tool in the advancement of pathological knowledge, particularly through the identification of rare or incidental neoplastic and non neoplastic lesions that may otherwise remain undetected during life. Many such findings are asymptomatic and cause no significant functional impairment. This study aims to underscore the significance of the incidental neoplastic lesions in pathological medicolegal autopsies. Aim: To determine the spectrum of histopathological findings in neoplastic lesions identified during autopsy, whether or not they were related to the cause of death. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of medicolegal autopsies conducted over a period of one year at a tertiary care center was performed. Histopathological examinations were carried out and the findings were analyzed to identify neoplastic lesions. Results: The present study consisted of a series of 303 autopsy cases from Department of Pathology in a tertiary care hospital conducted over a period of one year. The internal organs of total of 303 autopsies were sent for histopathological examination. Neoplastic lesions were identified in 4.95% of cases. Conclusion: This study has added valuable insights to the repository of rare incidental neoplastic lesions. Autopsy studies remain crucial for uncovering clinically silent yet potentially significant pathological conditions, some of which could have impacted patient management if identified antemortem.


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Data Sharing Statement

There are no additional data available. All raw data and code are available upon request.

Funding

This research received no funding.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed significantly to the work and approve its publication.

Ethics Declaration

This article does not involve any human or animal subjects, and therefore does not require ethics approval.

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the patients, their families, and all those who have contributed to this study.

Conflicts of Interest

No conflicts of interest in this work.


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Cite this article

Manjusha D, Shweta W, Abhishek M, et al. Histopathological Study of Incidental Neoplastic Lesions in Autopsy Cases: A Retrospective Observational Study in a Tertiary Care Centre. Indian J Forensic Med Pathol. 2026;19(1):21-27.


Licence:

Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.



Received Accepted Published
November 05, 2025 January 25, 2026 March 30, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21088/ijfmp.0974.3383.19126.3

Keywords

AutopsyHistopathologicalIncidentalMalignancy

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Received November 05, 2025
Accepted January 25, 2026
Published March 30, 2026

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Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.



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