[Coronary atherosclerosis, coronary thrombosis and myocardial infarction in autopsy cases (author's transl)]

The autopsy reports of the Pathological Institute Erfurt of the period from 1.1 1951 until 31.12. 1969 were scored for cases of coronary sclerosis which were analysed concerning frequency and distribution of age and sex, resp. In 52.26 percent of all autopsies (55.77 percent of men, 48.06 percent of women) a coronary sclerosis was present. Weak or moderately severe coronary sclerosis appeared more frequent (34.47 percent) than severe forms (17.80 percent of all autopsies). The difference in the relative frequency of coronary sclerosis between our material and the data of other authors we explain by subjective factors in the interpretation of the morphological changes of the coronary vessels. Males suffered significantly more frequent from all forms of coronary sclerosis. During the period of nineteen years a significant increase of the coronary sclerosis was observed. It is due to the more frequent occurrence of weak to moderately severe coronary sclerosis in both sexes, and of severe forms in men. The increase of the frequency of the coronary sclerosis particularly concerns the younger age groups.