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Post-mortem computed tomography angiography: past, present and future

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Abstract

The role of imaging has been long established in forensic practice as an adjunct to the conventional autopsy. Recently with the development of MDCT, there has been a large international push towards the development of the so called “near virtual autopsy.” Currently a large obstacle to the acceptance of “near virtual autopsies” is the failure of post-mortem imaging to yield detailed information about the coronary arteries. This is a major deficiency of post-mortem MDCT and MRI compared to conventional autopsy as standard clinical angiography relies on circulation. One possible way to overcome this is by the use of post-mortem MDCT angiography. This review paper considers the past, current and future advances in cadaver cardiac imaging which, if successful, will take radiological imaging one step closer to the widespread introduction of near virtual autopsies.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the relatives of the deceased who consented for their recently departed loved ones to be imaged as part of the on-going MDCT angiography research at the East Midlands Forensic Pathology Unit, Leicester, UK (LREC number 04/Q2501/64). Without their consent work within this area could not progress. We wish also to thank the radiographers, porters, anatomical pathology technicians and those undertaking consenting for the day to day logistical support for the trial.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. East Midlands Forensic Pathology Unit, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, LE2 7LX, UK

    Sarah L. Saunders & Guy N. Rutty

  2. Imaging Department, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, LE1 5WW, UK

    Bruno Morgan & Vimal Raj

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  1. Sarah L. Saunders
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  2. Bruno Morgan
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Correspondence to Sarah L. Saunders.

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Saunders, S.L., Morgan, B., Raj, V. et al. Post-mortem computed tomography angiography: past, present and future. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 7, 271–277 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-010-9208-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-010-9208-3

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