[Waterhouse-Friderichsen cases in the archives of ZMS PAM--epidemiological conditions and diagnostic difficulties].

15 cases of meningococcal infections from 2003-2004 were discussed in the study. Their therapy ended in failure and they had been typically autopsied in our Forensic Med. Department. During the autopsy material for classical microbiological investigations was collected. That type of death is characterised with pathognomonic and autopsy image. The problem is the microbiological identification of the pathogen group and type. It is connected with the characteristic of the analysed material and the biological features of Neisseria meningitidis. The molecular and genetic methods show their usefulness in this type of diagnostic of the properly selected and collected material which typically are: cerebrospinal fluid, brain tissue with the arachnoid membranes and spleen tissue.