Postmortem findings of pulmonary lesions of older datum in intravenous drug addicts

Summary

At post-mortem examination the lungs of 30 intravenous narcotic addicts were compared to two groups of 30 age- and sex-matched controls with no history of narcotic abuse. A distinctly uneven distribution of pulmonary pathology among the two groups was found, with various non-acute, non-granulomatous lesions dominating in the addict group. Microscopically, the typical pattern consisted of focally thickened fibrotic and hypercellular alveolar septa, accumulation of haemosiderin-laden macrophages in alveolar walls as well as in the lumina of alveoli and respiratory passages, and vascular lesions with full-thickness fibrosis of arterial walls. An attempt at quantitative scoring of the changes indicated that the extent of pulmonary pathology increases with the addict's age or duration of narcotic abuse and with the degree of social deterioration. The same changes could also be demonstrated in some control cases with a history of salicylate or alcohol abuse, or with known heart/lung disease.

The addict group also exhibited myocardial alterations in 28 of 30 cases. Typical findings were myofibrillar degeneration and fatty infiltration.

In 15 of 30 addicts morphological and toxicological examination did not yield a definitive cause of death. However, the present demonstration of cardiopulmonary pathology suggests that narcotic addicts may be prone to acute circulatory and/or respiratory derangement even if no overdose of drugs is taken.