[An anlysis of the post mortem material of a chest unit (author's transl)]

Area of Science:

• Pathology
• Infectious Diseases
• Gerontology

Context:

• Tuberculosis (TB) mortality patterns are evolving, with a notable shift towards older populations.
• Intestinal tuberculosis is characterized by cavitating processes, unlike bone and joint tuberculosis.
• Fungal infections are increasingly recognized as co-pathologies in various diseases.

Purpose:

• To analyze the changing demographics of tuberculosis mortality.
• To investigate the pathological characteristics of intestinal tuberculosis.
• To determine the prevalence of fungal infections in association with tuberculosis.

Summary:

• Tuberculosis deaths are increasingly occurring in older individuals.
• Cavitating processes are common in intestinal tuberculosis but not in tuberculous osteoarticular disease.
• Fungal infections were identified in 36 out of 846 autopsies, with 22 cases showing co-infection with tuberculosis.

Impact:

• Highlights the need for age-specific TB management strategies.
• Informs differential diagnosis for intestinal vs. other forms of TB.
• Underscores the importance of considering co-infections in TB patients, potentially influencing treatment protocols and patient outcomes.