RESUMO
The autopsy has for long been regarded as the gold standard as the most important tool for retrospective quality assessment of clinical diagnosis as well as a key education tool. In autopsy the kidneys are examined for disease, injury and other findings suggesting cause of death or related changes. Grossly some of the diseases may be easily noted on autopsy. Since kidney biopsy is usually avoided in critically ill patient ,histologic evaluation of autopsy of kidneys may be the first and the only opportunity to identify these diseases. Objectives: 1) To study the pattern of histological findings in kidney in minimum 150 autopsy cases based on the material received in Pathology department, GMC, Patiala. 2) To study the latent form of the disease, which couldn’t be diagnosed in lifetime, whenever full data is available. 3)To establish the exact cause of death on renal autopsy findings, wherever possible. 4) To find discrepancy with clinical diagnosis if the data are available. Methods: The present study is an observational study that was conducted over a period of two years. Postpartum renal specimens were received from August, 2016 onwards with a total of 150 cases. The specimens were preserved in 10% formalin immediately after autopsy and were received in fully sealed jars. A thorough gross examination of renal specimens including measurements, weights, consistency, cut surface, details of any lesions if preserved were recorded. Subsequently samples were processed for histopathology. The sections were thoroughly examined microscopically on 4x, 10x, and 40x power of the microscope for any pathology and the results were recorded. Results: In 57 cases (38%) microscopic findings were close to normal histology with no nephropathological diagnosis. 68 cases with tubular and interestial pathology included 43 cases of acute tubular necrosis (28.6%), 3 cases with acute pyelonephritis(2%), 2 cases with chronic pyelonephritis(1.3%) and 20 cases were noted to have cloudy swelling in the tubule(13.3%). Conclusion: In the present study majority of renal autopsies revealed histopathological pattern suggestive of tubular pathologies of which most common was acute tubular necrosis as a cause of sudden collapse of patient leading to death.