Bidyut Prava Das1, Kalyani Prava Gouda2, Bikash Ranjan Panda3
BACKGROUND An autopsy is a medical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of corpse to determine the cause of death and to evaluate any diseases that maybe present. Most of the chronic liver diseases even in advanced stages may cause no signs and symptoms and may go undiagnosed or are found coincidently during general health checkup, investigation being done for some other disease, surgery or autopsy. The underlying cause of chronic liver diseases vary in different geographic areas and are based on various factors such as socioeconomic status, lifestyle, diet, local and other endemic diseases. Hence, we have conducted this study to unearth the silent liver diseases in medicolegal cases.
MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was carried out in Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of SCB Medical College, Cuttack, during 2012 to 2015. All medicolegal cases received for autopsy are included in the study. Routine HE stain and special stain like reticulin, Masson trichrome stain was used wherever necessary and results were analysed.
RESULTS Autopsy was done in 139 cases. Portal inflammation and fibrosis was found in 35 (25.18%) cases. Sinusoidal dilatation and congestion in 29 cases (20.86%), cirrhosis and bridging fibrosis was found in 16 cases (11.5%), steatohepatitis in 27 cases (19.42%), cholestasis in 3 cases (2.16%), hepatitis 1 case (0.72%) and hepatocellular carcinoma in 1 case (0.72%). The others include autolytic changes and normal liver.
CONCLUSION Autopsy and histopathological study of liver is the best method to determine the clinically latent liver diseases.
