[Postmortem findings in peritonitis (author's transl)]

About 11 000 autopsies were done in Darmstadt from 1955 to 1977; 879 (8%) of the cases had had peritonitis. The incidence of acute peritonitis was highest (56,8%), followed by acute local peritonitis (26,6%), peritoneal abscess and covered perforation (11,4%) and strangulation ileus (3,8%). Peritonitis had been the cause of death in 56%; in 37% of the cases peritonitis was an essential finding, in 6,3% a minor finding. A comparison was made with statistics of peritonitis at postmortem in Berlin in 1908; total incidence of peritonitis was about the same, however peritonitis originating from appendicitis or female genital tract infection is much rarer - peritonitis originating from the biliary tract or from the intestinal tract is much more common nowadays. Morphological changes occurring during septic shock are described as well as the chronic sequels of peritonitis. Finally some special forms of peritonitis are discussed: Foreign body peritonitis, tuberculous peritonitis, peritoneal metastases, retroperitoneal fibrosis and peritonitis of the newborn.