Context: There is a paucity of accurate postmortem data pertinent to comorbid medical conditions in patients with dementia, including Alzheimer disease.
Objectives: The purposes of this study were (a) to examine general autopsy findings in patients with a dementia syndrome and (b) to establish patterns of central nervous system comorbidity in these patients.
Design: Review of autopsy reports and selected case material from 202 demented patients who had "brain-only" autopsies during a 17-year period (1984-2000) and from 52 demented patients who had general autopsies during a 6-year period (1995-2000).