To study causes of death of rheumatic patients in Moscow.
Autopsy protocols for 1999-2002 were analysed for two pathoanatomic departments of Moscow.
Rheumatic diseases were detected in 165 cases (2.0% of overall number of autopsies in these departments). Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) was stated in 99 (60.0%) cases, rheumatic fever relapse (RFR) in 4 (2.4%), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 28 (17.0%), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in 8 (4.8%), systemic sclerosis (SS) in 3 (1.8%), ankylosing spondilarthritis (AS) in 2 (1.2%), systemic vasculitis (SV) in 2 (1.2%), osteoarthrosis in 11 (7.3%), gout in 3 (1.8%), polymyositis in 1 (0.6%). RHD patients died of decompensated circulation (DC) (54%), acute heart failure (AHF) (14%), thromboembolism (TE) (6%), other causes (26%). RF patients died of TE (n = 2), DC (n = 1), AHF (n = 1). Out of 28 RA patients, 5 patients died of secondary amyloidosis, 3 of DC, 7 of AHF, 1 of TE, 5 of infectious complications, 7 of other causes. SLE patients died of uremia (n = 2), acute adrenal failure (n = 1), infectious complications (n = 2), AHF (n = 2), brain edema (n = 1).
Among rheumatic diseases, rheumatic heart valve disease was most severe as it caused the highest mortality. Cardiovascular pathology caused death in most of the rheumatic patients.