Investigation of autopsy results in cadavers with lead poisoning in Tehran Legal Medicine Center over 10 years

Objective: Due to the rapid pace of industrialization and the high prevalence of addiction, toxicity caused by heavy metals, especially lead, has become one of the major health problems associated with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, reliable information is critical to manage this condition. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 30 cadavers, suspected of lead poisoning. The hospital records and the results of anatomical investigations were studied. Data were collected in a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed in SPSS Version 22. Results: The results showed a significant correlation between the pathological results of pulmonary autopsy and the duration of drug use (P = 0.01). Also, the pathological results of cardiac autopsy had significant correlations with age (P = 0.006) and blood lead level (P = 0.03). Moreover, significant correlations were found between the pathological results of liver autopsy and age (P = 0.00), between the pathological results of brain autopsy and the route of drug administration (P = 0.01), and between the pathological results of kidney autopsy and age (P = 0.00). Most pathological changes were observed in the brain and kidney tissues. Conclusion: Lead poisoning does not cause any specific pathological changes in the liver, heart, brain, lung, or kidney tissues; however, these non-specific changes, alone or together, can lead to death.