High rate of discordance between clinical and autopsy diagnoses in blood and marrow transplantation

Trends in underlying causes of death in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients over the last decade

OBJECTIVES

Improved survival after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and an increasingly comorbid transplant population may give rise to new trends in the causes of death.

METHODS

This study includes all adult allogeneic HCT recipients transplanted at Rigshospitalet between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019. Underlying causes of death were determined using the Classification of Death Causes after Transplantation (CLASS) method.

RESULTS

Among 802 HCT recipients, 289 died during the study period. The main causes of death were relapse (N = 133, 46.0%), graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) (N = 64, 22.1%) and infections (N = 35, 12.1%). Multivariable analyses showed that with increasing transplant calendar year, a decreased risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.97) and death from GvHD (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.78-0.97) was identified, but not for other specific causes. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for all-cause mortality decreased from 23.8 (95% CI 19.1-28.5) to 18.4 (95% CI 15.0-21.9) for patients transplanted in 2010-2014 versus 2015-2019, while SMR for patients who died from GvHD decreased from 8.19 (95% CI 5.43-10.94) to 3.65 (95% CI 2.13-5.18).

CONCLUSIONS

As risk of all-cause mortality and death from GvHD decreases, death from relapse remains the greatest obstacle in further improvement of survival after HCT.

Epidemiology of Invasive Candidiasis in Patients with Hematologic Malignancy on Antifungal Prophylaxis

The landscape of invasive Candida infections in patients with hematologic malignancy has evolved due to the adoption of anti-fungal prophylaxis, advances in oncological therapies, and developments in antifungal therapies and diagnostics. Despite these scientific gains, the morbidity and mortality caused by these infections remain unchanged, highlighting the importance of an updated understanding of its epidemiology. Non-albicans Candida species are now the predominant cause of invasive candidiasis in patients with hematological malignancy. This epidemiological shift from Candida albicans to non-albicans Candida species is partially a consequence of selective pressure from extensive azole use. Further analysis of this trend suggests other contributing factors including immunocompromise caused by the underlying hematologic malignancy and the intensity of its associated treatments, oncological practices, and regional or institution specific variables. This review characterizes the changing distribution of Candida species in patients with hematologic malignancy, describes the causes driving this change, and discusses clinical considerations to optimize management in this high-risk patient population.

Clinically latent and autopsy-verified inflammatory disorders and malignant tumours in transplant patients

AIMS

The number of clinical autopsies decreases while the rate of missed relevant diagnoses is known to be 2%-20%. In this study, we focused on postmortem examinations of patients after transplantation of solid organs.

METHODS

A total of 122 cases were assessed for this study. Transplant organs included liver (LiTx; n=42/122, 34%), heart (n=8/122, 7%), lungs (n=32/122, 26%), kidney (KTx; n=38/122, 31%) and KTx+LiTx (n=2/122, 2%).

RESULTS

The most frequent autopsy-verified causes of death were cardiac or respiratory failure (together n=85/122, 70%). The frequency of malignant tumours that were identified at autopsy was 5% (n=6/122). In 3% (n=4/122) of cases, Goldman class I discrepancies between clinical diagnosis and autopsy findings were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of missed relevant diagnoses might be relatively low, but these cases nevertheless refute the contention that modern diagnostic techniques negate the need for autopsies in patients who died after transplantation.

Missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of infectious diseases in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients: an autopsy study

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is potentially curative for patients with hematologic disorders, but carries significant risks of infection-related morbidity and mortality. Infectious diseases are the second most common cause of death in HCT recipients, surpassed only by progression of underlying disease. Many infectious diseases are difficult to diagnose and treat, and may only be first identified by autopsy. However, autopsy rates are decreasing despite their value. The clinical and autopsy records of adult HCT recipients at our center who underwent autopsy between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2017 were reviewed. Discrepancies between premortem clinical diagnoses and postmortem autopsy diagnoses were evaluated. Of 185 patients who underwent autopsy, 35 patients (18.8%) had a total of 41 missed infections. Five patients (2.7%) had >1 missed infection. Of the 41 missed infections, 18 (43.9%) were viral, 16 (39.0%) were fungal, 5 (12.2%) were bacterial, and 2 (4.9%) were parasitic. According to the Goldman criteria, 31 discrepancies (75.6%) were class I, 5 (12.2%) were class II, 1 (2.4%) was class III, and 4 (9.8%) were class IV. Autopsies of HCT recipients frequently identify clinically significant infectious diseases that were not suspected premortem. Had these infections been suspected, a change in management might have improved patient survival in many of these cases. Autopsy is underutilized and should be performed regularly to help improve infection-related morbidity and mortality. Illustrative cases are presented and the lessons learned from them are also discussed.

PICU Autopsies: Rates, Patient Characteristics, and the Role of the Medical Examiner

OBJECTIVES

Autopsy rates in North American Children's hospitals have not been recently evaluated. Our objectives were 1) to determine the autopsy rates from patients cared for in PICUs during a portion of their hospital stay, 2) to identify patient characteristics associated with autopsies, and 3) to understand the relative role of medical examiner cases.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of data prospectively collected from a sample of patients (n = 10,078) admitted to PICUs affiliated with the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network between December 2011 and April 2013.

SETTING

Eight quaternary care PICUs.

PATIENTS

Patients in the primary study were less than 18 years old, admitted to a PICU and not moribund on PICU admission. Patients included in this analysis were those who died during their hospital stay.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Sociodemographic, clinical, hospital, and PICU data were compared between patients who had autopsies conducted and those who did not and between medical examiner and nonmedical examiner autopsies. Of 10,078 patients, 275 died of which 36% (n = 100) had an autopsy performed. Patients with cancer who died were less likely to receive autopsies (p = 0.005), whereas those who died after trauma or cardiac arrest had autopsies performed more often (p < 0.01). Autopsies were more common in patients with greater physiologic instability at admission (p < 0.001), and those who received more aggressive PICU care. Medical examiner cases comprised nearly half of all autopsies (n = 47; 47%) were conducted in patients presenting with greater physiologic instability (p < 0.001) and more commonly after catastrophic events such as cardiac arrest or trauma (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this first multicenter analysis of autopsy rates in children, 36% of deaths had autopsies conducted, of which nearly half were conducted by the medical examiner. Deaths with autopsy are more likely to be previously healthy children that had catastrophic events prior to admission.

Association of hospital construction with the development of healthcare associated environmental mold infections (HAEMI) in pediatric patients with leukemia

BACKGROUND

Healthcare associated mold infections (HAEMI) increase morbidity and mortality in children with leukemia. Excavation adjacent to Children's Medical Center Dallas (CMCD) April 2006-February 2007 provided an opportunity to determine if excavation adjacent to a hospital building is associated with increased risk of developing HAEMI in children receiving intensive chemotherapy for acute leukemia.

METHODS

Children who began receiving intensive chemotherapy for acute leukemia at CMCD from 2004 to 2008 were identified (n = 275). Exposures to the CMCD campus during intensive chemotherapy and duration of neutropenia per exposure were recorded. Proven, probable, or possible invasive fungal disease (IFD) was classified using EORTC/MSG guidelines. Institutional guidelines categorized mold infections as definite or possible HAEMI. A bivariate time-to-event model compared the association of excavation with HAEMI and yeast infections, controlling for neutropenia.

RESULTS

There were 7,454 CMCD exposures, 1,007 (13.5%) during excavation. Of 50 cases of IFD, 31 were HAEMI. By time-to-event analysis exposure to the CMCD campus during the excavation period was significantly associated with HAEMI (HR = 2.8, P = 0.01) but not yeast infections (HR = 0.75, P = 0.75). Neutropenia was significantly associated with both HAEMI and yeast infections (P < 0.001). Voriconazole prophylaxis did not prevent HAEMI in 42% of the 14 patients with AML who had been receiving this agent.

CONCLUSION

This study is the first to demonstrate an association between exposure to hospital construction that includes excavation and HAEMI in pediatric oncology patients. Since neutropenic patients need protection from aerosolized fungal spores during visits to expanding medical centers, preventive strategies with adherence monitoring need additional study.

What Has Been Learned from Postmortem Studies?

Infectious and noninfectious pulmonary diseases are commonly found on postmortem autopsy studies in patients with hematological malignancy. Despite the technological advances in diagnostic testing and imaging modalities, obtaining an accurate clinical diagnosis remains difficult and often not possible until autopsy. Major diagnostic discrepancies between clinical premortem diagnoses and postmortem autopsy findings have been reported in these patients. The most common missed diagnoses are due to opportunistic infections and cardiopulmonary complications. These findings underscore the importance of enhanced surveillance, monitoring and treatment of infections and cardiopulmonary disorders in these patients. Autopsies remain important in determining an accurate cause of death and for improved understanding of diagnostic deficiencies, as well as for medical education and quality assurance.

Diagnostic performance in a primary referral hospital assessed by autopsy: evolution over a ten-year period

BACKGROUND

Despite remarkable progress in modern laboratory testing and imaging technology in recent years, diagnostic errors still occur. To assess whether diagnostic performance in a primary referral hospital improves with new diagnostic tools and algorithms, autopsy reports were analyzed over a ten-year period to monitor diagnostic errors.

METHODS

Medical reports from 1997 to 2006 were compared retrospectively with autopsy reports. A diagnostic error was assumed when the main clinical diagnosis was missed, independently of whether this influenced the patient's survival or whether this error led to incorrect treatment without effect on survival. Two cardiovascular markers with high sensitivity, namely cardiac troponin T and D-dimer testing and two algorithms for thoracic pain and thromboembolic disease were introduced during the study period.

RESULTS

970 cases were included; the autopsy rate was 50.1%. Cardiovascular diseases were misdiagnosed in 18.7%, followed by infectious diseases in 12.9%, oncological 3.6% and neurological diseases in 1.8%. The most commonly missed diagnoses were myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism and aortic dissection; however, the rate of errors for cardiovascular diseases decreased over the 10 years (p<0.002). Overall diagnostic sensitivity and specificity rose from 67% to 87% and from 94% to 99%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Autopsy remains a valuable tool to measure diagnostic performance. Errors occur most frequently in cardiovascular events, whereas in malignant and neurological diseases they are rare. The significant improvement of diagnostic accuracy for cardiovascular diseases is associated with the introduction of new sensitive laboratory tests and algorithms for thoracic pain and thromboembolic diseases.

Time trends in fungal infections as a cause of death in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: an autopsy study

Infectious complications remain an important cause of death in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. We undertook a 20-year (1988-2007) retrospective review of all autopsies performed on HSCT recipients in our institution, with emphasis on infections, especially fungal infections, as the cause of death. Of the 2,943 autopsies performed in our institution from 1988 to 2007, 395 (13.4%) involved HSCT recipients (117 pediatric; 278 adult). Of the patients, 298 had received allogeneic, 46 autologous, 41 umbilical cord blood, and 3 autologous plus allogeneic types, and 7 were unknown HSCT types. The most common causes of death were pulmonary complications, occurring in 247 (62.5%) of 395 cases. In 178 cases (45.1%), microorganisms (viral, bacterial, and/or fungal) were documented at autopsy in one or more organs and contributed to the cause of death. Fungal infections were found in 23.5% of cases, but their frequency as a cause of death decreased throughout this study, from 30.3% in the 1988-1992 period to 10.9% in the 2003-2007 period.

Unexpected postmortem diagnosis of Acanthamoeba meningoencephalitis following allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

Meningoencephalitis caused by pathogenic free-living amebas is usually fatal. Only a few cases of Acanthamoeba meningoencephalitis, diagnosed at autopsy, have been reported following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We here report a case of Acanthamoeba meningoencephalitis following allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation with rapidly evolving neurologic symptoms that remained unexplained. Magnetic resonance imaging failed to show brain lesions and cerebrospinal fluid was negative for microbiological cultures. Definite diagnosis was an unexpected autopsy finding. As overall and teaching hospital autopsy rates are declining worldwide, we must emphasize the need of autopsy exams if we want to improve our knowledge as the best way to care for our patients.