Tuberculosis is endemic in Senegal. It is rate of increase and high mortality rate make it a major public health problem. The aim of this study was to describe the topographic, macroscopic, and microscopic aspects of tuberculosis lesions responsible for deaths in Dakar. This is a retrospective study of 158 autopsy reports, collected over 10 years, of deaths due to tuberculosis. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was essentially macroscopic; only equivocal cases had histological analysis. The average age at death was 47 years, and nearly all patients were men (all but 5). The largest percentage of deaths were in the 56-60 year old age group (21.6%, n = 34). Cachexia (70.3%), pallor (44.3%), and hemoptysis (20.9%) were found in the external examination of these corpses. Autopsy of the viscera showed pulmonary disease in 98.7% of cases (n = 156), both bilateral and extensive. Renal and pericardial disease were rare, found in respectively 3.8% and 2.5% of cases. Macroscopic aspects of tuberculosis were various and often related. Miliary tuberculosis (81%), small nodule tuberculosis (76.6%), and tuberculomas (62%) were the lesions most commonly encountered. Histologic analysis showed these lesions were of different ages. Tubercles (Koster follicles) were found consistently. Caseous necrosis was pathognomonic. Tuberculosis remains a deadly disease in Dakar, it mainly affects men and older individuals.
Keywords: Decease; Necropsy; Senegal; Tuberculosis.