BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Infections are the main cause of death in most haematologic malignancies. We studied 95 autopsies of patients who died from haematologic neoplasms in the period 1980-1989 at Niguarda Cà Granda Hospital. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Infections were the cause of death in 63% of patients. In this group of patients bacterial infections accounted for 43% of deaths; fungal infections were frequent too (28%), mainly among leukemic patients; viral (9%), mycobacterial (7%) and polymicrobic infections (11%) were also documented. Haemorrhages were less frequently fatal (12%) due to the availability of haemocomponents. A high number of fatal haemorrhages were associated with fungal infections. Neoplastic progression was the real cause of death in only a few cases, and cardiovascular and pulmonary complications were fatal in the great majority of the other patients.
BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Infections are the main cause of death in most haematologic malignancies. We studied 95 autopsies of patients who died from haematologic neoplasms in the period 1980-1989 at Niguarda Cà Granda Hospital. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Infections were the cause of death in 63% of patients. In this group of patientsbacterial infections accounted for 43% of deaths; fungal infections were frequent too (28%), mainly among leukemicpatients; viral (9%), mycobacterial (7%) and polymicrobic infections (11%) were also documented. Haemorrhages were less frequently fatal (12%) due to the availability of haemocomponents. A high number of fatal haemorrhages were associated with fungal infections. Neoplastic progression was the real cause of death in only a few cases, and cardiovascular and pulmonary complications were fatal in the great majority of the other patients.
Authors: Patrick Brück; Malgorzata Pierzchlewska; Marta Kaluzna-Oleksy; Maria Elizabeth Ramos Lopez; Mathias Rummel; Dieter Hoelzer; Angelika Böhme Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2012-03-13 Impact factor: 3.603