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Introduction: The aim of our study was to determine the degree of edema in the organs of patients who died with severe sepsis. Hypothesis: In severe sepsis, alterations in vascular permeability result in organ edema. The increase in weight may vary according to the organ considered. Methods: Autopsies are still routinely performed in patients who die in our 35 bed Multidisciplinary Department of Intensive Care. We reviewed the data and the organ weights of all patients who had a postmortem examination in the years 2008- 2011. We extracted a group (n=171) of patients with severe sepsis and a control group of patients who died without evidence of infection (n=54). Results: Total lung weight was significantly greater in septic than in non-infected patients (1591 ± 541 vs. 1306 ± 417 g, p<.001). These differences remained when only septic patients without pulmonary infection (n=74) were kept in the analysis (1509 ± 570 g, p=.028). The spleens were heavier in the sepsis group than in the control group (262 ± 175 vs. 180 ± 83 g, p<0.001) and changes in kidney weight almost reached statistical significance (346 ± 116 vs. 312 ± 100 g, p=.058). No significant difference was found in the weight of heart, liver, brain and thyroid gland. Septic patients with cirrhosis (n=59) had particularly heavy lung, spleen and kidney weight. Conclusions: Among non-survivors, septic patients have more edema in their lungs and spleen and perhaps kidneys than non-infected patients. However, their heart, liver, and brain are not heavier than in other ICU patients.