Cell death is still a matter of debate and scientific opinions have been challenged and are not uniform due to complexity of this issue. Recent research has brought some new evidence about the very subtle border between programmed cell death and necrosis. The concept of their mutual independence, broadly accepted for decades, is now significantly challenged. Lack of unified terminology led to the establishment of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) which provides recommendations for clear definition of distinct cell death programs. It also appeals for consistent application of this nomenclature in scientific literature. In this work, some keystone knowledge addressing three specific programmed cell death types - apoptosis, autophagic cell death, and pyroptosis which is recognized as a controversial cell death scenario on the border between programmed cell death and necrosis, is reviewed. These cell death scenarios are discussed in the context of pathogenesis of infectious diseases.