Values of the autopsy in the university hospitals illustrated by the casuistry

PURPOSE: Clinical autopsy rate have been declining since the 1950s, but it remains a useful investigation tool. METHODS AND RESULTS: Through six examples of our experience, we underline its interest for clinical, didactic and public health purposes. CONCLUSIONS: We try to understand the reasons for its decline and, as demonstrated, it can be attributed to a number of factors. These need to be addressed in order to reassert the status of the autopsy as an investigation and audit tool which is crucial to the future effectiveness of modern medicine.