Thromboembolic findings in patients with heart failure at autopsy.

Background: The risk of thromboembolic events is increased in patients with heart failure (HF); however, few studies have reported thromboembolic findings in HF patients who have undergone autopsy.

Methods And Results: We reviewed 1457 autopsies (January 2000/July 2006) and selected 595 patients with HF. We studied the occurrence of thromboembolic events in patients' autopsy reports.

Diagnostic discrepancies in clinical practice: An autopsy study in patients with heart failure.

Autopsies are the gold standard for diagnostic accuracy; however, no recent study has analyzed autopsies in heart failure (HF).We reviewed 1241 autopsies (January 2000-May 2005) and selected 232 patients with HF. Clinical and autopsy diagnoses were analyzed and discrepancies categorized according to their importance regarding therapy and prognosis.