It was to investigate whether an additional routinely histology of macroscopic inconspicuous (healthy) liver tissue leads to additional information and hence would contribute to a quality increase of internal autopsies. The findings of this study are based on (i) 1030 autopsy protocols and (ii) on liver tissue samples acquired during the "Görlitzer Studie" in 1986/87. It was found that in 46.1% of the cases investigated, new diagnostic or differential diagnostic aspects were found, independent on gender. It was shown that a systematic histological examination of all organs as part of an autopsy can lead to a variety of unexpected information. Based on the results, a routinely histological examination within an autopsy is highly recommended. |