Postmortem CT in Trauma: An Overview. 2020

Poornima Elizabeth Chandy, and Nicolas Murray, and Elina Khasanova, and Muhammad Umer Nasir, and Savvas Nicolaou, and Francesco Macri
Emergency and Trauma Imaging Division, Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

As forensic radiology sees an exponential gain in popularity, postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) is increasingly being used in the appropriate setting, either as preautopsy guidance or as part of complementary virtual autopsy protocol. Many articles have expounded the value it adds to forensic pathology in the general setting and the appropriate technical parameters to be used for optimum benefit. We aim to put forth a concise review on the role of PMCT specifically in trauma and the pitfalls to be aware of. Reviews have shown that presumed cause of death in trauma have been proven by autopsy to be wrong in about 30% cases. Radiology applied to postmortem investigation in unnatural deaths and more specifically in trauma shares many semiotic features with emergency radiology. Therefore, in the near future, emergency radiologists might be required to integrate this type of imaging in their regular practice. Although the predominant drawbacks are time-dependent, PMCT also has some difficulty in differentiating antemortem and postmortem events. However, in many such scenarios, PMCT and autopsy play a complementary role in arriving at conclusions, and we believe understanding the benefits and role in trauma is imperative considering the expanding usage of PMCT.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001344 Autopsy Postmortem examination of the body. Autopsies,Post-Mortem Examination,Postmortem Examination,Examination, Post-Mortem,Examination, Postmortem,Examinations, Post-Mortem,Examinations, Postmortem,Post Mortem Examination,Post-Mortem Examinations,Postmortem Examinations
D014057 Tomography, X-Ray Computed Tomography using x-ray transmission and a computer algorithm to reconstruct the image. CAT Scan, X-Ray,CT Scan, X-Ray,Cine-CT,Computerized Tomography, X-Ray,Electron Beam Computed Tomography,Tomodensitometry,Tomography, Transmission Computed,X-Ray Tomography, Computed,CAT Scan, X Ray,CT X Ray,Computed Tomography, X-Ray,Computed X Ray Tomography,Computerized Tomography, X Ray,Electron Beam Tomography,Tomography, X Ray Computed,Tomography, X-Ray Computer Assisted,Tomography, X-Ray Computerized,Tomography, X-Ray Computerized Axial,Tomography, Xray Computed,X Ray Computerized Tomography,X Ray Tomography, Computed,X-Ray Computer Assisted Tomography,X-Ray Computerized Axial Tomography,Beam Tomography, Electron,CAT Scans, X-Ray,CT Scan, X Ray,CT Scans, X-Ray,CT X Rays,Cine CT,Computed Tomography, Transmission,Computed Tomography, X Ray,Computed Tomography, Xray,Computed X-Ray Tomography,Scan, X-Ray CAT,Scan, X-Ray CT,Scans, X-Ray CAT,Scans, X-Ray CT,Tomographies, Computed X-Ray,Tomography, Computed X-Ray,Tomography, Electron Beam,Tomography, X Ray Computer Assisted,Tomography, X Ray Computerized,Tomography, X Ray Computerized Axial,Transmission Computed Tomography,X Ray Computer Assisted Tomography,X Ray Computerized Axial Tomography,X Ray, CT,X Rays, CT,X-Ray CAT Scan,X-Ray CAT Scans,X-Ray CT Scan,X-Ray CT Scans,X-Ray Computed Tomography,X-Ray Computerized Tomography,Xray Computed Tomography
D049429 Forensic Pathology The application of pathology to questions of law. Pathology, Forensic

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