Clinico-pathological analysis of 100 autopsy cases of massive or submassive pulmonary thrombo-obstruction in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases

A clinico-pathological analysis of 100 autopsy cases of thrombo-obstruction in the segmental and those bigger arteries of the lungs caused by cardiovascular and pulmonary disease was reported. These complications of pulmonary thrombosis and/or embolism were more commonly observed in rheumatic heart disease (29% of the same disease in autopsies), congestive cardiomyopathy (26%) and cor pulmonale (19%). There were 2-4% of the autopsy cases of other cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. The pulmonary thrombo-obstruction and/or infarction were more frequent in right lower lobes of the lungs and they were often multiple. The pulmonary infarction occurred in 76% of these cases. 35% of 100 cases occurred with sudden death. Only 13% of 100 patients with pulmonary thrombosis and/or embolism were diagnosed before autopsy. The causes of pulmonary thrombo-obstruction and the diagnostic suggestion were discussed in this paper.