Abstract

Background: Autopsy literally means to see for one self. Medico legal autopsy are performed to identify the cause of death, time of death, determine or confirm medical diagnosis that remained unknown or unclear prior to the patient’s death. Various histopathological finding not related to the cause of death are observed in the routine histopathological examination of medico legal autopsies. These findings are important learning tools for the pathologist and forensic expert and have imminence academic and research value. Method: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted on medico legal autopsies for ten years from 2007- 2017 in the department of pathology. A total of 425 cases were included in the study. In each case available clinical details (age, sex, clinical diagnosis, cause of death, post mortem findings), gross and microscopic findings noted from autopsy records and analyzed. Available Gross specimens and slides were reviewed. Results: Out of 425 cases, 310 (72.9%) were males and 115 (27.05%) were females. Commonest age group was 21-30 (22.11%) followed by 31- 40 (19.05%). Normal histopathological changes were seen in 110 (25.88%) cases. The most common significant histopathological findings was pulmonary edema (13.41%) followed by atherosclerosis (12.23%), lobar pneumonia (6.11%), and acute tubular necrosis (7.52%). Interesting incidental histopathological findings accounted to 20.23%, varied from granulomatous inflammation to malignancy. Conclusions: Incidental histopathological findings may not contribute to the cause of death, but they are of academic interest. We found various rare incidental findings (20.23%), neoplastic lesions were less compared to non-neoplastic lesions.

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