Spectrum of renal histopathology on autopsy from a tertiary care center: study of 100 autopsy cases

Background: Kidney damage is a disease processes that remain unnoticeable in antemortem period. But ironically, kidneys are also one of the common organ that gets affected in many systemic pathological diseases. Prevalence of such systemic diseases are quite high in sedentary life style of present population and ultimately lead to irreversible end stage kidney disease. Thus histopathological examination of autopsy kidney tissue helps in identifying extent of renal damage at tissue level and its contribution towards cause of death. Aim & objectives: To find out finding out various pathological changes in kidney amongst various age group and assessing renal causes contributing to mortality. Methods: A prospective study conducted on 100 cases of kidney viscera received routinely after medicolegal autopsy followed by their gross and microscopic examination. Results: Histopathological examination of 100 cases on microscopy revealed 12% cases with normal histology. 03% cases with autolytic changes. Renal pathological findings were seen in 85% cases. The most common lesion observed in our study was non-specific edema and congestion in renal parenchyma (24%) followed by glomerular lesions and acute tubular necrosis (12 % each), tubular casts (9%) interstitial nephritis (8%). Other less common lesions observed were chronic pyelonephritis, cystic lesions, vascular lesion, neoplasm etc. Conclusion: Histopathological examination of kidney viscera from medicolegal autopsy
cases can provide us great insight into the various medical diseases that resulted in end stage kidney disease which later contributes to cause of death.