[Incidence of liver cirrhosis in autopsy cases. A statistical autopsy study]

In this study, data about frequency, age and sex distribution of cirrhosis in 10000 autopsies are summarized. There were 475 (4.75%) cirrhoses, among them 319 complete and 156 incomplete forms. The peak of age distribution was in the 8th decennium. There is a preponderance of males in a proportion of 1.44: 1. Etiological hints were found for hepatitis in 23% and for alcohol in 20% of the cases. Only 159 (33.4%) cases with cirrhosis were known intra vitam. The causes of death were related to the liver disease in 136 cases (28.6%) (bleeding from esophagical varices in 60 cases = 44% of cirrhosis, and coma hepatic in 48 cases = 35% of cirrhoses). Most of the cirrhotics died from cardiovascular and bronchopulmonary diseases. In 33 of 475 cirrhoses (7.2%) a primary liver carcinoma had developed. The results were compared with those obtained previously by other authors.