[Autopsy study of 100 elderly patients]

Clinical and autopsy records of 100 elderly patients were analyzed. The most common cause of death in this series was malignant tumors (39%). The second leading cause of death was diseases of the circulatory system (37%), in which cerebrovascular accident alone accounted for 21%. Cor pulmonale and myocardial infarction were also common causes of death. In addition, infective diseases, especially pneumonia and septicemia were often fatal to elderly patients. The discrepancy between clinical and post-mortem diagnoses in this series was 24.7%. The causes of incorrect and missed diagnoses are discussed. The results suggest that extensive autoptic study still has vital practical significance.