title: Pneumonia: Features registered in autopsy material.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite improvements in clinical practice, pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Pathologic findings from autopsy reports could provide more precise and valid data on characteristics of pneumonia patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed autopsy reports of deceased patients admitted to the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina in Sremska Kamenica, Serbia, between 1994 and 2003. The patients were classified into two groups: group 1 (n = 161) comprised patients in whom pneumonia was the main cause of death, while group 2 (n = 165) consisted of patients in whom pneumonia was confirmed at autopsy but had various different causes of death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 1776 patients who underwent autopsy 326 (18.3%) were diagnosed with pneumonia. The most common underlying diseases were atherosclerosis (29.4%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (26.7%), and malignancies (20.2%). Pneumonia was the main cause of death in 161 cases (group 1) while in group 2 major causes of death were heart failure (HF) (26.7%), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (16.4%), and pulmonary embolism (PE) (10.9%). Multilobar involvement (91% vs.27%), pulmonary effusion (29% vs.14%), and lung abscess (23.6% vs.8.5%) were more frequently found in group 1, compared to group 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with pneumonia who underwent autopsy most common underlying diseases were atherosclerosis, COPD, and malignancies, while major causes of death were: progression of pneumonia, HF, AMI, and PE.
authors.affiliation: a Pathology Department , Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, University of Novi Sad , Sremska Kamenica , Serbia.
authors.forename: Zdravko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kosjerina
authors.affiliation: b Pathophysiology Department , Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, University of Novi Sad , Sremska Kamenica , Serbia.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vukoja
authors.affiliation: a Pathology Department , Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, University of Novi Sad , Sremska Kamenica , Serbia.
authors.forename: Dejan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vuckovic
authors.affiliation: c Pulmology Department , Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina, University of Novi Sad , Sremska Kamenica , Serbia.
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kosjerina Ostric
authors.affiliation: d Center for Hygiene and Human Ecology , Institute for Public Health of Vojvodina, University of Novi Sad , Novi Sad , Serbia.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jevtic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055771:Serbia
keywords: Autopsy; Causes of death; Comorbidities; Morphology; Pneumonia