Abstract
Postmortem imaging is increasingly used in forensic practice as good complementary tool to conventional autopsy investigations. Over the last decade, postmortem cardiac magnetic resonance (PMCMR) imaging was introduced in forensic investigations of natural deaths related to cardiovascular diseases, which represent the most common causes of death in developed countries. Postmortem CMR application has yielded interesting results in ischemic myocardium injury investigations and in visualizing other pathological findings in the heart. This review presents the actual state of postmortem imaging for cardiovascular pathologies in cases of sudden cardiac death (SCD), taking into consideration both the advantages and limitations of PMCMR application.
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Abbreviations
- CMR:
-
Cardiac magnetic resonance
- PMCMR:
-
Postmortem cardiac magnetic resonance
- PMMR:
-
Postmortem magnetic resonance
- MR:
-
Magnetic resonance
- PMMRI:
-
Postmortem magnetic resonance imaging
- PMCT:
-
Postmortem computer tomography
- SCD:
-
Sudden cardiac death
- HCM:
-
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- ARVC/D:
-
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia
- SSFP:
-
Cine steady-state free precession
- LV:
-
Left ventricle
- RV:
-
Right ventricle
- T1w:
-
T1-weighted
- T2w:
-
T2-weighted
- PD:
-
Proton density
- FSE:
-
Fast spin echo
- ECV:
-
Extracellular volume
- TE:
-
Echo times
- TR:
-
Relaxation times
- MRF:
-
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting
- DTI:
-
Diffusion tensor imaging
- DWI:
-
Diffusion weighted imaging
- ISFRI:
-
International Society of Forensic Radiology and Imaging
- AHA:
-
American Heart Association
- CAD:
-
Coronary arteries disease
- STIR:
-
Short tau inversion–recovery
- CA:
-
Cardiac amyloidosis
- AL:
-
Light chain amyloidosis
- ATTR:
-
Transthyretin amyloidosis
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BG developed review design and was one of the major contributors in manuscript writing. GDA developed review design, conducted PMCMR scans, led image analysis and data interpretation, and was one of the major contributors in writing the manuscript. MG was involved in manuscript writing. MDP and ME supervised the overall review, ensured quality control on image analysis and data interpretation, and supervised manuscript writing. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
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The processing of the data reported in this paper is covered by the general authorization to process personal data for scientific research purposes granted by the Italian Data Protection Authority (1 March 2012 as published in Italy’s Official Journal no. 72 dated 26 March 2012) since the data do not entail any significant personalized impact on data subjects. Our study does not involve the application of experimental protocols; therefore, it does not require approval by an institutional and/or licensing committee. In all cases, local prosecutors opened an investigation, ordering that an autopsy be performed to clarify the exact cause of death
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Guidi, B., Aquaro, G.D., Gesi, M. et al. Postmortem cardiac magnetic resonance in sudden cardiac death. Heart Fail Rev 23, 651–665 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-018-9705-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-018-9705-0