title: [Alcoholic encephalopathies in autopsy material].
abstract: A report is given on incidence, complications, causes of death, and morphological diagnosis of chronic alcoholism in autopsy material. Chronic alcoholism was registered in 8.4% of all autopsies. The average age at death of alcoholics, particularly female, was significantly lower than that of all autopsy material. Pneumonia was the most frequent direct cause of death (21.1%). Acute ethanol intoxication was in second position (15.8%). Wernicke's encephalopathy was observed in 0.6% of all autopsies (18% of alcoholics), cerebellar atrophy occurred in 0.4% (12%), and central pontine myelinolysis was found in 0.2% (7%). The mean brain weight of alcoholics was 1310 g as compared with 1400 g of controls. Problems of clinical and postmortal diagnosis as well as medical and social consequences are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pathologische Anatomie, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, BRD.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Riethdorf
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Warzok
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schwesinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000401:mortality; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000401:mortality; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014899:Wernicke Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology
vernacular_title: Die Alkoholenzephalopathien im Obduktionsgut.