RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic utility of the autopsy in University hospital in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: In this retrospective descriptive-analytic survey during a six years period from 1998 to 2003, autopsies in the Bahrami Children Hospital, a teriary care hospital in Tehran, were studied. The clinical and autopsy diagnoses were compared and categorized as follows: 1. Change (clinical and autopsy diagnoses discordant), 2. Add (significant unexpected findings noted on the autopsy, although the clinical diagnosis was not altered), 3. Confirm (clinical and autopsy diagnosis concordant), 4. Autopsy inconclusive. RESULTS: Eighty four autopsies were studied. Out of 350 neonatal deaths in the period, autopsy was performed in 74 neonates (21%) and of 249 under 5 year deaths (except neonates) autopsy was performed in only 10 cases (4%). In 61 cases (73%) the autopsy diagnoses confirmed the clinical diagnosis, in 10 cases (12%) it changed the clinical diagnosis, in 11 cases (13%) it significantly added to the clinical diagnosis and in 2 cases (2%) it was inconclusive. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that neonatal and infantile autopsy continued to provide clinically useful data in 25% of cases and remains an invaluable tool in pediatric medicine.