[Iatrogenic histopathological findings. A systematic compilation].

A series of drugs and diagnostic agents are deposited (mostly in a metabolized form) in various human organs or cause characteristic histological pictures there. These iatrogenic alterations can frequently be recognized even after a short time and can be demonstrated for varying lengths of time. They may become relevant in various respects in terms of forensic medicine: (1) as an aid to identification in unknown cadavers or cadaver parts, (2) in establishing iatrogenic damage, (3) as an evaluation of findings in sudden and unexpected death from natural causes, and (4) in problems of insurance law with regard to morphological demonstration of chronic drug abuse, especially abuse of analgesics. In a systematic review broken down according to organs, a series of these drugs or diagnostic agents are presented with the morphological alterations they caused, the methods of histological demonstration and the duration of identifiability.