Postmortem biopsies: the experience in Kuwait.
OBJECTIVE
To report our 4-year experience in postmortem needle biopsy of liver, heart, kidney and lung tissues when formal autopsy could not be performed.


METHODS
In the period from January 2000 to December 2003, postmortem biopsies were done at Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait, in 19 cases where the original diagnosis or cause of death was not clear. The procedure was performed by a dedicated trained medical team using a biopsy needle or limited incisions guided by the knowledge of the clinical presentation and results of laboratory and radiological investigations.


RESULTS
The actual diagnosis was established in 8 cases by postmortem histological findings and corrected in another 9 cases. In the remaining 2 cases with systemic sepsis, autopsy only confirmed the antemortem clinical diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows that needle biopsy is an adequate technique for postmortem examination and should be considered as the minimum alternative to conventional autopsy.
El-Reshaid
Wael
W
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait. walbader@qualitynet.net
El-Reshaid
Kamel
K
Madda
John
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D007730:Kuwait; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010337:Pathology Department, Hospital