The autopsy and diagnosis of pulmonary thrombo-embolism

Pulmonary thrombo-embolism (PTE) is a common cause of death but is frequently undetected by clinicians in spite of advanced diagnostic techniques. The autopsy has traditionally been used to identify the rate of PTE in hospital patients, but the decline in autopsy rates – especially in hospitals – has led to insufficient recent data from which to comment with confidence on the true rate of death from latent PTE. Widespread prophylactic anticoagulation regimens against venous thrombosis may induce complacency amongst clinicians. PTE continues to occur and to kill, and autopsies should be performed more frequently to better estimate the true prevalence of this condition.