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Erschienen in: European Radiology 5/2013

01.05.2013 | Forensic Medicine

Pulmonary thrombembolism as cause of death on unenhanced postmortem 3T MRI

verfasst von: Christian Jackowski, Silke Grabherr, Nicole Schwendener

Erschienen in: European Radiology | Ausgabe 5/2013

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Abstract

Objectives

To investigate unenhanced postmortem 3-T MR imaging (pmMRI) for the detection of pulmonary thrombembolism (PTE) as cause of death.

Methods

In eight forensic cases dying from a possible cardiac cause but with homogeneous myocardium at cardiac pmMRI, additional T2w imaging of the pulmonary artery was performed before forensic autopsy. Imaging was carried out on a 3-T MR system in the axial and main pulmonary artery adapted oblique orientation in situ. In three cases axial T2w pmMRI of the lower legs was added. Validation of imaging findings was performed during forensic autopsy.

Results

All eight cases showed homogeneous material of intermediate signal intensity within the main pulmonary artery and/or pulmonary artery branches. Autopsy confirmed the MR findings as pulmonary artery thrombembolism. At lower leg imaging unilateral dilated veins and subcutaneous oedema with or without homogeneous material of intermediate signal intensity within the popliteal vein were found.

Conclusions

Unenhanced pmMRI demonstrates pulmonary thrombembolism in situ. PmMR may serve as an alternative to clinical autopsy, especially when consent cannot be obtained.

Key Points

• Postmortem MRI (pmMRI) provides an alternative to clinical autopsy
• Fatal pulmonary thrombembolism (PTE) can now be diagnosed using postmortem MRI (pmMRI).
• Special attention has to be drawn to the differentiation of postmortem clots.
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Metadaten
Titel
Pulmonary thrombembolism as cause of death on unenhanced postmortem 3T MRI
verfasst von
Christian Jackowski
Silke Grabherr
Nicole Schwendener
Publikationsdatum
01.05.2013
Verlag
Springer-Verlag
Erschienen in
European Radiology / Ausgabe 5/2013
Print ISSN: 0938-7994
Elektronische ISSN: 1432-1084
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-012-2728-3

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