[Comments on histopathology examinations in forensic medicine -- the importance, indications and basic principles of preserving the tissues].

Histopathology examinations and their usefulness in postmortem diagnosis and medico-legal expertise have always been regarded extremely important by the Faculty of the Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine at the Medical University of Gdansk. The authors postulate acceptance of indication criteria for histopathology examination in forensic autopsies and propose rules for collecting tissue samples from internal organs and the placenta. They also remind the readers of the principles of proceeding with the preserved material. The present paper may be helpful for doctors other than forensic pathologists, who perform autopsies in institutions other than university departments of forensic medicine.