Abstract

MONCADA LUNA, Rodolfo  and  NAVA CARRION, Ernesto. Tuberculosis in necropsy material: Hospital Arzobispo Loayza: 1986-1995. Rev Med Hered [online]. 1998, vol.9, n.4, pp.131-137. ISSN 1018-130X.

Objective: To assess the frequency of postmortem tuberculosis diagnosis at the Hospital Nacional Arzobispo Loayza, during 1986 through 1995 and to compare it with the clinical diagnosis. Material and methods: We examined the autopsy protocols in which the diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed by microscopic examination. We described the clinical presentation and localization of tuberculosis and compared the postmortem diagnosis. In the cases in which tuberculosis was not recognized before death, we analyzed the possible causes of this failure were analyzed. Results: Tuberculosis was founded in 70 autopsies (13.2%), it was localized only in the lungs in 17 cases, in 53 it was pulmonary and extrapulmonary, and was only extrapulmonary no case. Tuberculosis was not recognized before death in 15 cases (21.4%). The proportion of no diagnosed cases was higher in elderly patients 5/1 vs 10/59 (p <0.05). Conclusions:The postmortem diagnosis of tuberculosis is still frequent, The clinical diagnosis is subestimated, specially in the elderly population. ( Rev Med Hered 1998; 9:131-137).

Keywords : Tuberculosis; diagnosis; posmortem diagnosis; autopsy; elderly.

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