Usefulness of coronary postmortem computed tomography angiography to detect lesions in the coronary artery and myocardium in cases of sudden death

Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) is becoming common in the practice of forensic medicine [1,2]. Postmortem CT angiography (PMCTA) has also proved to be a useful tool, mainly in forensic facilities and departments [3 –12]. PMCTA techniques comprise angiography at the time of terminal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, whole-body angiography, and selective angiography including targeted coronary angiography. Whole-body angiography using a modified heart-lung bypass machine and high volumes of contrast medium has de monstrated the systemic vascular circulation including coronary arteries, suggesting that it can be a non-invasive or minimally invasive alternative to standard forensic autopsy [4,6].

Source: Legal Medicine - November 16, 2017 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Hiroyuki Takei, Rie Sano, Yoichiro Takahashi, Keiko Takahashi, Yoshihiko Kominato, Hiroyuki Tokue, Takehiro Shimada, Sachiko Awata, Satoshi Hirasawa, Naoya Ohta Source Type: research