Infections in haematologic neoplasms: autopsy findings

Infections are the main cause of death in most haematologic malignancies. We studied 95 autopsies of patients who died from haematologic neoplasms in the period 1980-1989 at Niguarda Cà Granda Hospital.

Infections were the cause of death in 63% of patients. In this group of patients bacterial infections accounted for 43% of deaths; fungal infections were frequent too (28%), mainly among leukemic patients; viral (9%), mycobacterial (7%) and polymicrobic infections (11%) were also documented. Haemorrhages were less frequently fatal (12%) due to the availability of haemocomponents. A high number of fatal haemorrhages were associated with fungal infections. Neoplastic progression was the real cause of death in only a few cases, and cardiovascular and pulmonary complications were fatal in the great majority of the other patients.