ABSTRACT
The authors present a defense of postmortem clinical anatomy sessions, which contributed enormously to the development of clinical medicine but which today draw little interest in medical studies. Nevertheless, the sessions still provide an unrivalled exercise in diagnosis for medical students and an excellent method of continuing education for practicing professionals. Autopsies make it possible to confirm or correct clinical diagnoses, including those obtained through highly complex technological procedures; they contribute to the discovery of new diseases and other abnormalities; they promote research; they provide reliable statistics on morbidity and mortality; they produce useful genetic information; they facilitate interdisciplinary discussion and knowledge exchange; and they can serve as an indicator of the quality of medical care. The authors recommend reviving the high academic standards of postmortem clinical anatomy sessions and urge professionals in health institutions to contribute as much as possible to the continuation and improvement of these sessions