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. 2021 Feb 17;11(1):3943.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-83587-1.

A single-centre, retrospective study of the incidence of invasive fungal infections during 85 years of autopsy service in Brazil

Kátia Cristina Dantas  1 , Thais Mauad  2 , Carmen D Saldiva de André  3 , Ana Luiza Bierrenbach  4 , Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva  2   5
Affiliations

A single-centre, retrospective study of the incidence of invasive fungal infections during 85 years of autopsy service in Brazil

Kátia Cristina Dantas et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Autopsy continues to play an essential role in monitoring opportunistic fungal infections. However, few studies have analysed the historical trends of fungal infections in autopsies. Here, we analyse available data on fungal infections obtained from autopsy reports during 85 years of autopsies performed by the largest autopsy service in Brazil. All invasive fungal infections presented in autopsy reports between 1930 and 2015 were included. Of the 158,404 autopsy reports analysed, 1096 involved invasive fungal infections. In general, paracoccidioidomycosis (24%) was the most frequent infection, followed by candidiasis (18%), pneumocystosis (11.7%), cryptococcosis (11%), aspergillosis (11%) and histoplasmosis (3.8%). Paracoccidioidomycosis decreased after the 1950s, whereas opportunistic fungal infections increased steadily after the 1980s during the peak of the AIDS pandemic. The lung was the most frequently affected organ (73%). Disseminated infection was present in 64.5% of cases. In 26% of the 513 cases for which clinical charts were available for review, the diagnosis of opportunistic fungal infections was performed only at autopsy. Our unique 85-year history of autopsies showed a transition from endemic to opportunistic fungal infections in São Paulo, Brazil, reflecting increased urbanization, the appearance of novel diseases, such as AIDS in the 1980s, and advances in medical care over time.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Annual evolution of the incidence of fungal infections among all death cases subjected to autopsy.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Proportional incidence of fungal infections by genus in autopsy reports between 1930 and 2015.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Age distribution of fungal infections in autopsy reports between 1930 and 2015.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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