title: [Pathological diagnosis--costs and benefit].
abstract: The autopsy rate in Germany has drastically diminished in the last decades and is below 10% nowadays. Possible reasons for this development are discussed. Pressure of cost is a quoted cause, although it is not so high. There is a large discrepancy between the clinically supposed cause of death and the by autopsy confirmed diagnosis (40-60%). This especially applies to mycoses. Every year in Germany 1200 crimes of causing death and 11.000 non-natural deaths are not found because of missing autopsy. Another important aspect for a sufficient number of autopsies is their value for the quality assurance in diagnosis and therapy and also in education and further training of physicians and students.
authors.affiliation: Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, Medizinische Fakultät, Greifswald, Deutschland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schwesinger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knoke
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
mesh_terms: D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000473:pathology*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000191:economics*