Tuberculosis Surveillance in Taiwan Forensic Autopsy Cases: A Retrospective Analysis of 71 Cases From 2012 to 2017

This study analyzed 71 cases of TB at autopsy notified via Taiwan Medical Examiner Surveillance for Lethal Infectious Disease (Taiwan Med-X) between 2012 and 2017 and applied immunohistochemistry to formalin-fixed lung tissue. Tuberculosis was present in 0.57% (71/12,369) forensic autopsy cases in the institute. Among the study cases, 30 (42.3%) cases were newly diagnosed with TB at autopsy, whereas 41 (57.7%) cases were notified before death and have still seen the TB pathological changes. Regarding the death investigation, cause of death was TB accounted for 46.5%, and non-TB, 53.5% (including trauma, 26.8%; other diseases, 19.7%; drowning, 4.2%; and drug abuse, 2.8%, respectively). Compared with the staining signal, immunohistochemistry has better sensitivity than acid-fast staining. This study provides a reassessment of the reference value to estimate the burden of disease caused by TB and emphasizes the importance of biosafety in an autopsy room.
Source: The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology - Category: Forensic Medicine Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research