Infectious Complications in Systemic Scleroderma. Analysis of Two Autopsy Cases

The article presents two autopsy cases of systemic scleroderma that led to the death of patients, as well as a review of the literature on the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease, with a focus on the development of infectious complications in these cases. Scleroderma is a rare connective tissue disorder, and one of the most common causes of death is infectious complications, including sepsis. The aim of this study was to analyze two clinical cases of systemic scleroderma that resulted in the death of patients. Materials and methods. The results of autopsies of two patients with a diagnosis of systemic sclerosis are presented: a 63-year-old woman and a 59-yearold man. In each case, an autopsy was performed with a macroscopic examination of all organs and tissues. For histological examination, in case 1, samples were taken from the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, skin, esophagus, small and large intestines, right lumbar muscle, and bodies of the I and III lumbar vertebrae; in case 2, samples were taken from the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, skin, and esophagus.

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