Leptospirosis: A Diagnostic Challenge at Autopsy: Report of Two Cases

Abstract

Leptospirosis is an important sporadic zoonotic disease. This disease is caused by the spirochete leptospira icterohemorrhagica. In India, leptospirosis has always remained a major health concern, particularly during monsoons. This disease mainly affects vital organs such as the lung, kidney, and heart. Acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute renal failure mainly contribute to the mortality in patients, but cardiac involvement leading to death still remains an underestimated critical clinical factor. We report here two autopsy cases and highlight histopathological changes in heart which helped us in diagnosing in correlation with other organ findings the final cause of death as leptospirosis.

Keywords

• coronary artery endotheliitis
• heart
• leptospirosis