OBJECTIVES: To evaluate postmortem changes of the aorta on postmortem computed tomography (CT) in comparison with those on antemortem CT obtained in the same patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 57 consecutive patients who had undergone antemortem CT, postmortem CT, and pathological autopsy in our tertiary care hospital between April 2009 and December 2010. Postmortem CT was performed within 20 h after death, followed by pathological autopsy. Pathological autopsy confirmed the absence of cardiovascular disease such as aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, or Marfan syndrome in all patients. Aortic wall thickness and aortic cross-sectional areas were measured on both antemortem CT and postmortem CT. Difference in aortic wall thickness between antemortem CT with and without contrast medium, and between antemortem CT and postmortem CT, and in cross-sectional area of the aortic wall between antemortem CT and postmortem CT was evaluated statistically. RESULTS: No significant difference in aortic wall thickness was observed on antemortem CT in comparison of contrasted and non-contrasted images. The aortic wall was significantly thicker on postmortem CT than on antemortem CT (p < 0.0001). No significant difference in cross-sectional area of the aortic wall was observed between antemortem CT and postmortem CT measurements. CONCLUSION: This is the first longitudinal study to confirm greater thickness of the aortic wall on postmortem images compared with antemortem images in the same patients and to show no change in cross-sectional area of the aortic wall between before and after death.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate postmortem changes of the aorta on postmortem computed tomography (CT) in comparison with those on antemortem CT obtained in the same patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 57 consecutive patients who had undergone antemortem CT, postmortem CT, and pathological autopsy in our tertiary care hospital between April 2009 and December 2010. Postmortem CT was performed within 20 h after death, followed by pathological autopsy. Pathological autopsy confirmed the absence of cardiovascular disease such as aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, or Marfan syndrome in all patients. Aortic wall thickness and aortic cross-sectional areas were measured on both antemortem CT and postmortem CT. Difference in aortic wall thickness between antemortem CT with and without contrast medium, and between antemortem CT and postmortem CT, and in cross-sectional area of the aortic wall between antemortem CT and postmortem CT was evaluated statistically. RESULTS: No significant difference in aortic wall thickness was observed on antemortem CT in comparison of contrasted and non-contrasted images. The aortic wall was significantly thicker on postmortem CT than on antemortem CT (p < 0.0001). No significant difference in cross-sectional area of the aortic wall was observed between antemortem CT and postmortem CT measurements. CONCLUSION: This is the first longitudinal study to confirm greater thickness of the aortic wall on postmortem images compared with antemortem images in the same patients and to show no change in cross-sectional area of the aortic wall between before and after death.
Authors: Michael J Thali; Kathrin Yen; Wolf Schweitzer; Peter Vock; Chris Boesch; Christoph Ozdoba; Gerhard Schroth; Michael Ith; Martin Sonnenschein; Tanja Doernhoefer; Eva Scheurer; Thomas Plattner; Richard Dirnhofer Journal: J Forensic Sci Date: 2003-03 Impact factor: 1.832
Authors: Jang Gyu Cha; Dong Hun Kim; Dae Ho Kim; Sang Hyun Paik; Jai Soung Park; Seong Jin Park; Hae Kyung Lee; Hyun Sook Hong; Duek Lin Choi; Kyung Moo Yang; Nak Eun Chung; Bong Woo Lee; Joong Seok Seo Journal: Korean J Radiol Date: 2010-06-21 Impact factor: 3.500
Authors: Iwao Hasegawa; Akinobu Shimizu; Atsushi Saito; Hideto Suzuki; Hermann Vogel; Klaus Püschel; Axel Heinemann Journal: Int J Legal Med Date: 2016-04-05 Impact factor: 2.686