Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Postmortem Angiography and the Thanatology of the Vascular System

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Atlas of Postmortem Angiography

  • 987 Accesses

Abstract

Postmortem changes of the human body are well known and broadly described in thanatology. Nevertheless, little is known about the influence of postmortem phenomena on the vascular system. Radiologic, noninvasive methods, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), open new perspectives for exploring the inside of bodies and may contribute to the understanding of thanatology. Collapsed vessels and the presence of gas in the vascular system are common findings in postmortem imaging. Because of postmortem changes, blood distribution is complex, and knowledge of thanatologic changes is important to avoid misinterpretation and misdiagnosis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Brinkmann B, Madea B. Handbuch Gerichtliche Medizin. Berlin: Springer; 2004 (Requires translation).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  2. Saukko P, Knight B. Knight’s forensic pathology. 3rd ed. London: Hodder & Arnold; 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Hilgermann R. Histochemische Untersuchungen zur Frage der sogenannten Diffusionstotenflecke. Marburg: Habilitationsschrift; 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Thomsen H. Postmortale Thrombozyten im Blut, Blutgerinnseln und Hämatomen. Lübeck: Schmidt-Römhild; 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Jürg Im Obersteg. Tod und Blutgerinnung, Dtsch Z gerichtl Med. 1954;43:177–216.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Gilg T, Klaubert W, Schönbauer R, Gollwitzer R, Kauert G, Eisenmenger W. Untersuchungen über postmortale im Blut abgelaufene, koagulatorische und fibrinologische Reaktionsmechanismen. Beitr Gerichtl Med. 1986;44:399–405.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Takeichi S, Wakasugi C, Shikata I. Fluidity of cadaveric blood after sudden death, Part I. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1984;5:223–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Takeichi S, Wakasugi C, Shikata I. Fluidity of cadaveric blood after sudden death, Part II. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1985;6:25–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Takeichi S, Tokunaga I, Hayakumo I, Maeiwa M. Fluidity of cadaveric blood after sudden death. Part III. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1986;7:35–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Jackowski C, Thali M, Aghayev E, Yen K, Sonnenschein M, Zwygart K, et al. Postmortem imaging of blood and its characteristics using MSCT and MRI. Int J Legal Med. 2006;120:233–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bruguier C, Mosimann PJ, Vaucher P, Uské A, Doenz F, Jackowski C, et al. Multi-phase post-mortem CT angiography: recognizing technique-related artefacts and pitfalls. Int J Legal Med. 2013;127:639–52.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Lennert K, Harms UD. Über die Bedeutung Flüssigen Leichenblutes. In: Gerchow J, editor. An den Grenzen von Medizin und Recht, Festschrift für Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Hallermann. Stuttgart: Ferdinand Enke Verlag; 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  13. O’Donnell C, Rotman A, Collett S, Woodford N. Current status of routine post-mortem CT in Melbourne, Australia. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2007;3:226–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bolliger SA, Thali MJ, Ross S, Buck U, Naether S, Vock P. Virtual autopsy using imaging: bridging radiologic and forensic sciences. A review of the Virtopsy and similar projects. Eur Radiol. 2008;18:273–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Paperno S, Riepert T, Krug B, Rothschild MA, Schultes A, Staak M, Lackner L. Value of postmortem computed tomography in comparison to autopsy. Röfo. 2005;177:130–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Payne-James J. Forensic medicine: clinical and pathological aspects. San Francisco: Greenwich Medical Media; 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Aghayev E, Yen K, Sonnenschein M, Jackowski C, Thali M, Vock P, Dirnhofer R. Pneumomediastinum and soft tissue emphysema of the neck in postmortem CT and MRI; a new vital sign in hanging? Forensic Sci Int. 2005;153:181–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Dirnhofer R, Jackowski C, Vock P, Potter K, Thali MJ. VIRTOPSY: minimally invasive, imaging-guided virtual autopsy. Radiographics. 2006;26:1305–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Thali MJ, Jackowski C, Oesterhelweg L, Ross SG, Dirnhofer R. VIRTOPSY – the Swiss virtual autopsy approach. Leg Med (Tokyo). 2007;9:100–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Jackowski C, Thali M, Sonnenschein M, Aghayev E, Yen K, Dirnhofer R, Vock P. Visualization and quantification of air embolism structure by processing postmortem MSCT data. J Forensic Sci. 2004;49:1339–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Shiotani S, Kohno M, Ohashi N, Atake S, Yamazaki K, Nakayama H. Cardiovascular gas on non-traumatic postmortem computed tomography (PMCT): the influence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Radiat Med. 2005;23:225–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Kauczor HU, Riepert T, Wolcke B, Lasczkowski G, Mildenberger P. Fatal venous air embolism: proof and volumetry by helical CT. Eur Radiol. 1995;21:155–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Egger C, Bize P, Vaucher P, Mosimann P, Schneider B, Dominguez A, et al. Distribution of artifactual gas on post-mortem multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Int J Legal Med. 2012;126:3–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Egger C, Vaucher P, Doenz F, Palmiere C, Mangin P, Grabherr S. Development and validation of a post-mortem radiological alteration index; the RA-Index. Int J Legal Med. 2012;126:559–66.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. O’Donnell C, Woodford N. Post-mortem radiology–a new sub-speciality? Clin Radiol. 2008;63:1189–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Paperno S, Riepert T, Krug B, Rothschild MA, Schultes A, Staak M, Lackner L. Value of postmortem computed tomography in comparison to autopsy. Rofo. 2005;77:130–6 (Article in German).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Aghayev E, Sonnenschein M, Jackowski C, Thali M, Buck U, Yen K, et al. Postmortem radiology of fatal hemorrhage: measurements of cross-sectional areas of major blood vessels and volumes of aorta and spleen on MDCT and volumes of heart chambers on MRI. Am J Roentgenol. 2006;187:209–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Jeffrey Jr RB, Federle MP. The collapsed inferior vena cava: CT evidence of hypovolemia. Am J Roentgenol. 1988;150:431–2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Eisenstat RS, Whitford AC, Lane MJ, Katz DS. The “flat cava” sign revisited: what is its significance in patients without trauma? Am J Roentgenol. 2002;178:21–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Levy AD, Harcke HT, Mallak CT. Postmortem imaging: MDCT features of postmortem change and decomposition. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2010;31:12–7. Review.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Imaging, University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Coraline Egger MD

  2. Department of Forensic Medicine (retired), University of Legal Medicine of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Richard Dirnhofer MD

  3. Department of Forensic Imaging, University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Silke Grabherr MD, PD

Authors
  1. Coraline Egger MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Richard Dirnhofer MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Silke Grabherr MD, PD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Coraline Egger MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Silke Grabherr

  2. University Center of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Center Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Jochen M. Grimm

  3. Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppend, Hamburg, Germany

    Axel Heinemann

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Egger, C., Dirnhofer, R., Grabherr, S. (2016). Postmortem Angiography and the Thanatology of the Vascular System. In: Grabherr, S., Grimm, J., Heinemann, A. (eds) Atlas of Postmortem Angiography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28537-5_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28537-5_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28535-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28537-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation