Abstract

Context: Medical autopsies which carried out to identify the cause of death; medicolegal autopsies are performed to describe the injuries and identify the precise COD (Cause of Death) in cases involving suspicious circumstances. Aims: To study the significance of histopathological examination and pattern of disease in autopsy specimens. Settings and Design: Descriptive Study conducted at Vilasrao Deshmukh Government Medical College, Latur. Materials and Methods: This descriptive research has been performed among all specimens received during 18 months of data collection period in Department of Pathology at Vilasrao Deshmukh Government Medical College, Latur during the study period from January 2021 to December 2022. Results: Distribution according to histopathological findings in the Heart showed that normal histology was observed in 34.2% of specimens. This is followed by 18.4% had atherosclerosis. Distribution according to histopathological findings in Lung showed that 40.7% had pulmonary edema followed by 33.3% had pneumonia. Distribution according to histopathological findings in the Liver showed that 56.7% had congestion, and 25% had fatty liver. Distribution according to histopathological findings in the kidneys showed that the majority had cloudy changes i.e. 59.6% followed by 21.3% with chronic pyelonephritis. COD in the majority of the cases was sudden death i.e. 86.5% followed by 8.3% having road traffic accident, 3.1% with myocardial infarction and 2.1% had drowning. Conclusions: The most commonly received organs were the heart, lungs, and brain. Commonly observed findings in the heart were atherosclerosis (18.4%), in lungs-Pulmonary edema (40.7%), in liver-congestion (56.7%), in kidney-cloudy kidney (59.6%), brain-congestion (52.1%). Sudden death is a cause of death in almost all age groups with females preponderance for sudden deaths.

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