[Frequency of histopathological heart findings in representative autopsy material. An epidemiological contribution to...

Only few representative autopsy studies can be found about the frequency of histopathological alterations of the myocardium. One reason, no doubt, is the low rate of abductions. Based on 1,073 autopsies made during 1987 and 1987, a macroscopically inconspicuous region of the left-ventricular myocardium was analysed light-microscopically in addition to the other histological investigations. Slightly more than one half (53%) of them revealed a severe coronary sclerosis, especially with advanced age. Still more frequent was an interstitial fibrosis of the myocardium (71.5%). Surprising was the proportion of an uncharacteristic focal fibroplastic carditis of 24.8% and of lymphocyte pericarditis of 8.9%. Only rarely was there observed an acute, exudatively fibrinous pericarditis. Fibroses of the endocardium were found histologically in 177 cases (16.5%). More frequent than expected was the light-microscopic detection of myocarditis (4.7%). Surprising as well was a high frequency of amyloidoses of the heart muscle (12.8%), especially from the 60th year of age on. The study has underlined once again the value of autopsy and, in particular, the importance of additional, targetted histological organ investigations for a high level of epidemiological knowledge and quality assurance.