Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-mp689 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T22:04:26.770Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 30 - Forensic Radiology and Elders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2020

Kim A. Collins
Affiliation:
LifePoint Inc, South Carolina
Roger W. Byard
Affiliation:
University of Adelaide
Get access

Summary

Virtopsy (a portmanteau word combining “virtual” and “autopsy”) was first coined by Thali and colleagues in Switzerland in the early 2000s and referred to the novel application of multiple imaging modalities in the medicolegal death investigation context, with the potential to obviate the need for invasive procedures in many circumstances [1].

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Thali, MJ, Yen, K, Schweitzer, W et al. Virtopsy, a new imaging horizon in forensic pathology: virtual autopsy by post-mortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)- a feasibility study. J Forensic Sci 2003; 48(2): 386403Google Scholar
Brogdon, BG. Forensic radiology in historical perspective. In Thali, MJ, Viner, M, Brogdon, BG (eds.), Brogdon’s Forensic Radiology, 2nd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton; 2010: pp. 37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bolliger, SA, Thali, MJ. Imaging and virtual autopsy: looking back and forward. Phil Trans R Soc B 2015; 370: 20140253. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rtsb.2014.0254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nolte, K, Mlady, G, Zumwalt, R et al. Post-mortem x-ray computed tomography (CT) and forensic autopsy: a review of the utility, the challenges and the future implications. Acad Forensic Pathol 2011; 1(1): 4051.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O’Donnell, C, Woodford, N. Post-mortem radiology: a new subspecialty? Clin Radiol 2008; 63: 11891194.Google Scholar
O’Donnell, C, Woodford, N. Imaging the dead: Can supplement but not replace autopsy in medicolegal death investigation. BMJ 2010; 341: c7415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ranson, DL, Bugeja, L. Medicolegal death investigation: coroner and forensic pathology functions and processes in Victoria, Australia. Acad Forensic Pathol 2017; 7(4): 567581.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leditschke, J, Rose, T, Cordner, S et al. The development of a protocol for post-mortem management of Ebola virus in the setting of developed countries. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2015; 11(2): 262267.Google Scholar
Bedford, PJ. Should pathologists be reporting forensic CT scans? Acad Forensic Pathol 2012; 2(2): 198201.Google Scholar
Kremer, C, Racette, S, Marton, D et al. Radiographs interpretation by forensic pathologists – a word of warning. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2008; 29(4): 295296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hunsaker, DM, Hunsaker, JC.Elder abuse – challenges for clinical forensic specialists and forensic pathologists in the 21st century. In Tsokos, M (ed.), Forensic Pathology Reviews, Vol 4. Humana Press, Totowa New Jersey; 2006: pp. 2562.Google Scholar
Higgins, S, Parsons, S, Woodford, N et al. The effect of post-mortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA) using water-soluble, iodine-based radiographic contrast on histological analysis of the liver, kidneys and left ventricle of the heart. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2017; 13(3): 317327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Patriquin, L, Kassarjian, A, O’Brien, M et al. Postmortem whole body magnetic resonance imaging as an adjunct to autopsy; preliminary clinical experience. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging 2001; 13: 277287.3.0.CO;2-W>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ruder, TD, Thali, MJ, Hatch, GM. Essentials of forensic post-mortem imaging in adults. Br J Radiol 2014; 87: 20130567.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grabbher, S, Grimm, J, Baumann, P et al. Application of contrast media in post-mortem imaging. Radiol Med 2015; 120: 824834.Google Scholar
Grabherr, S, Dominguez, A, Mangin, P. L’angio-CT post-mortem: un nouvel outil diagnostique. Revue Médicale Suisse 2011; 7: 15071510.Google Scholar
Chevallier, C, Doenz, F, Vaucher, P et al. Post-mortem computed tomography angiography vs conventional autopsy: advantages and inconveniences of each method. Int J Legal Med 2013; 127: 981989.Google Scholar
Singh, MKC, O’Donnell, C, Woodford, NW. Progressive gas formation in a deceased person during mortuary storage demonstrated on computed tomography. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2009; 5: 236242.Google Scholar
Prinsloo, I, Gordon, I. Post-mortem dissection artifacts of the neck; their differentiation from antemortem bruises. S Afr Med J 1951; 25(21): 358361.Google Scholar
Lynch, MJ, Woodford, NW. The role of post-mortem imaging in preliminary examinations under the Coroners Act 2008 (Vic.): a forensic pathologist’s perspective. J Law Med 2014; 21(4): 774779.Google ScholarPubMed
O’Donnell, C, Lynch, M, Woodford, N. Can post-mortem CT and angiography provide all the answers? Lancet 2017; 390(10095): 646647.Google Scholar
Pollanen, MS. On the strength of evidence in forensic pathology. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2016; 12(1): 9597.Google Scholar
Sonnemans, LJP, Kubat, B, Prokop, M, Klein, WM. Can virtual autopsy with postmortem CT improve clinical diagnosis of cause of death? A retrospective observational cohort study in a Dutch tertiary referral centre. BMJ Open 2018; 8(3).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaraj, D, Rabiei, K, Marlow, T et al. Prevalence of idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus. Neurology 2014; 82(16): 14491454.Google Scholar
Miller, JH, Wardlaw, JM, Lammie, GA. Intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral amyloid angiopathy: CT features with pathological correlation. Clin Radiol 1999; 54(7): 422429.Google Scholar
Garland, J, Kesha, K, Vertes, D et al. Empty delta sign on unenhanced postmortem computed tomography scan in cerebral venous thrombosis. Am J Forensic Med Pathol Jul 17, 2018 [Epub ahead of print].Google Scholar
Berger, N, Ebert, LC, Ampanozi, G et al. Smaller but denser: postmortem changes alter the CT characteristics of subdural hematomas. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2015;11(1):4046.Google Scholar
Motomura, A, Makino, Y, Ohdo, Y et al. Pre-autopsy computed tomography accurately detected cerebral hemorrhage in highly decomposed bodies: report of two cases. Forensic Sci Int 2013; 231(1–3): e33–6.Google Scholar
Wilms, G, Van Roost, W, Van Russelt, J, Smits, J. Biparietal thinning: correlation with CT findings. Radiologe 1983; 23(8): 385386.Google Scholar
Cappella, A, Amadasi, A, Gaudio, D et al. The application of cone-beam CT in the aging of bone calluses: a new perspective? Int J Legal Med 2013; 127(6): 11391144.Google Scholar
Yang, KM, Lynch, M, O’Donnell, C. ‘Buckle’ rib fracture: an artefact following cardio-pulmonary resuscitation detected on post-mortem CT. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2011; 13(5): 233239.Google Scholar
Denis, F. Spinal instability as defined by the three-column spine concept in acute spinal trauma. Clin Orthop Relat Res 1984; 189: 6576.Google Scholar
Rosen, T, Bloemen, EM, Harpe, J et al. Radiologists’ training, experience, and attitudes about elder abuse detection. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2016; 207(6): 12101214.Google Scholar
Wong, NZ, Rosen, T, Sanchez, AM et al. Imaging findings in elder abuse: a role for radiologists in detection. Can Assoc Radiol J 2017; 68(1): 1620.Google Scholar
Filograna, L, Thali, MJ. Post-mortem CT imaging of the lungs: pathological versus non-pathological findings. Radiol Med 2017; 122(12): 902908.Google Scholar
Iino, M, O’Donnell, C. Postmortem computed tomography findings of upper airway obstruction by food. J Forensic Sci 2010; 55(5): 12511258.Google Scholar
Filograna, L, Bolliger, SA, Ross, SG et al. Pros and cons of post-mortem CT imaging on aspiration diagnosis. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2011; 13(1): 1621.Google Scholar
Zech, WD, Jackowski, C, Schwendener, N et al. Postmortem CT versus forensic autopsy: frequent discrepancies of tracheobronchial content findings. Int J Legal Med 2016; 130(1): 191198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Marco, E, Vacchiano, G, Frati, P et al. Evolution of post-mortem coronary imaging: from selective coronary arteriography to post-mortem CT-angiography and beyond. Radiol Med 2018; 123(5): 351358.Google Scholar
Michaud, K, Grabherr, S, Doenz, F et al. Evaluation of postmortem MDCT and MDCT-angiography for the investigation of sudden cardiac death related to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2012; 28(7): 18071822.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gitto, L, Serinelli, S, Busardò, FP et al. Can post-mortem computed tomography be considered an alternative for autopsy in deaths due to hemopericardium? J Geriatr Cardiol 2014; 11(4): 363367.Google Scholar
Grabherr, S, Heinemann, A, Vogel, H et al. Postmortem CT angiography compared with autopsy: a forensic multicenter study. Radiology 2018; 288(1): 270276.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Makino, Y, Yamamoto, S, Shiotani, S, et al. Can ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm be accurately diagnosed as the cause of death without postmortem computed tomography when autopsies cannot be performed? Forensic Sci Int 2015; 249: 107111.Google Scholar
Gascho, D, Schaerli, S, Tuchtan-Torrents, L et al. Use of postmortem computed tomography to detect bowel obstruction and its relationship to the cause of death. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2018; 39(1): 3037.Google Scholar
Usui, A, Kawasumi, Y, Hosokai, Y, et al. A case of fatal sigmoid volvulus visualized on postmortem radiography: The importance of image optimization with multidetector computed tomography. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2016; 19: 3234.Google Scholar
O’Donnell, CJ, Baker, MA. Postmortem CT findings of gastromalacia: a trap for the radiologist with forensic interest. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2010; 6(4): 293297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×