剖検症例からみた死因，特に死のメカニズム，直接死因および原死因についての検討

Abstract

The types and the incidence of the mechanism, the immediate and underlying causes of death were studied in 503 consecutive autopsy cases. The mechanisms of death were classified as respiratory failure (223 cases), combined organ failure (122 cases), circulatory failure (89 cases), hepatic failure (31 cases), central nervous failure (24 cases), renal failure (6 cases) and unknown (8 cases). To interpret the mechanism of death, the autopsy findings were satisfactory in approximately half of the cases, thuogh additional functional estimation was necessary in the remaining cases. In cases of respiratory failure, pneumonia and pulmonary involvement of carcinomas were the common immediate causes of death, and lung cancer was the most common underlying cause of death. In cases of combined organ failure, spreading of carcinomas in various organs was the most common immediate cause of death, and carcinomas of stomach, lung and pancreas were the common underlying causes of death. The cases of circulatory failure were further divided into heart failure and peripheral circulatory failure. Myocardial infarction was the most commn cause of death, immediate as well as underlying, in heart failure. In peripheral circuratory failure, hemorrhage and sepsis were the common immediate causes of death, and carcinomas of the liver and stomach were the common underlying causes of death in peripheral circuratory failure. In cases of hepatic failure, hepatic involvement of carcinomas was the most common immediate and underlying cause of death. In cases of central nervous failure, cerebral hemorrhage was the most common cause of death, both immediate and underlying. The cases of renal failure were too few for analysis.