Necropsy findings in 395 adult patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who died in Nice, France, between March 1983 and May 1996 were compared retrospectively with antemortem diagnoses, risk factors and number of positive T CD4 lymphocytes at the time of death. Special emphasis on bacterial infections was made in this study. Lesions observed from 1983 through 1989 and from 1990 through 1996 were compared. We assessed the role of organ lesions in the immediate cause of death. The organ system distribution of major opportunistic infections and neoplasms was similar throughout the years of the study. The most common diagnostic disease entities in all organ sites were cytomegalovirus infection, toxoplasmosis and candidiasis. Toxoplasmosis was more common in the intravenous drug abuser group. Bacterial infections were frequent and contributed to the mortality and morbidity of all risk factor groups. Kaposi' sarcoma continued to occur more frequently in the homosexual population. Cytomegalovirus infection remained one of the most common causes of death from 1983 to 1996. Mortality from fungal and bacterial infections, and mycobacteriosis increased in frequency during the course of this study whereas deaths from pneumocystosis declined. The death rate from malignant lymphoma and carcinoma increased after 1989. The clinical cause of death concurred with the pathological cause in 55% of the cases. Lung was the most frequent organ involved followed by the central nervous system the gastrointestinal tract and the heart.