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International Journal of Legal Medicine

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01-01-2018 | Original Article

The role of angiography in the congruence of cardiovascular measurements between autopsy and postmortem imaging

Authors: Renaud Troxler, Costin Minoiu, Paul Vaucher, Katarzyna Michaud, Francesco Doenz, Kewin Ducrot, Silke Grabherr

Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine | Issue 1/2018

Abstract

Introduction

Postmortem CT angiography is the method of choice for the postmortem imaging investigations of the cardiovascular (CV) system. However, autopsy still remains the gold standard for CV measurement. Nevertheless, there are not any studies on CV measurements on the multi-phase postmortem angiography (MPMCTA) which includes comparisons with autopsy. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare CV measurements between the native CT scan and the three phases of the MPMCTA to find out which of these modalities correlate the best with autopsy measurements.

Methods

For this study, we selected retrospectively 50 postmortem cases that underwent both MPMCTA and autopsy. A comparison was carried out between the CV measurements obtained with imaging (aorta; heart cavities and cardiac wall thicknesses; maximum cardiac diameter and cardiothoracic ratio) and at the autopsy (aorta; cardiac valves, ventricular thicknesses, and weight).

Results

Our results show that the dynamic phase displays an advantage for the measurement of the aortas. However, the MPMCTA is not accurate to measure the cardiac wall thicknesses. The measurements of the heart cavities show no correlation with the heart valves. The cardiothoracic ratio measured by the MPMCTA shows no correlation with the heart weight. Nevertheless, the maximum cardiac diameter exhibits a correlation with the latter on the venous and dynamic phase.

Conclusions

These results show that only few CV parameters measured with imaging correlate with measurement obtained at the autopsy. These results indicate that in order to better estimate values obtained at the autopsy, we need to define new reference values for the CV measurement on MPMCTA.

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Title: The role of angiography in the congruence of cardiovascular measurements between autopsy and postmortem imaging
Authors: Renaud Troxler
Costin Minoiu
Paul Vaucher
Katarzyna Michaud
Francesco Doenz
Kewin Ducrot
Silke Grabherr
Publication date: 01-01-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine / Issue 1/2018
Print ISSN: 0937-9827
Electronic ISSN: 1437-1596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-017-1652-0

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

The role of angiography in the congruence of cardiovascular measurements between autopsy and postmortem imaging

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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