[Infectious complications of leukemias and other tumors of the hematopoietic system].

In 1975-1982, autopsies of 201 patients dying with leukemias and other tumors of hemopoietic system revealed infectious complications in 68.6%, among them pneumonias in 46.8%, sepsis in 10.9%, and inflammatory-necrotic processes of the digestive tract in 19.4%. More frequent occurrence of infectious complications in acute leukemias (68-75%) as compared with chronic (61-70%), in lympholeukemias (70-75%) as compared with myeloleukemias (61-68%), and virus infections including generalized forms of herpes in lymphogranulomatosis (30.8%) was noted. The importance of immunodeficiency conditions and granulocytopenia in the development of infectious complications which were the immediate cause of death of 56.7% of those dying with leukemias and other tumors of the hemopoietic system is discussed. The increased role in the etiology of these complications of the opportunistic intestinal microflora frequently present in various associations and in combinations with other microbes and fungi is noted.