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Published on: September 27, 2020
Postmortem CT: Applications in Clinical and Forensic Medicine.
Nadia Solomon1, Jamie Elifritz1, Natalie L Adolphi1
1From the Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (N.S., B.G., M.V.R.) and Pathology (H.S.), Yale University School of Medicine, 20 York St, New Haven, CT 06510; Investigative Medicine Program, Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, New Haven, Conn (N.S.); Yale Translational Research Imaging Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn (N.S., A.J.S.); The Forensic Radiology Group, Anderson, SC (J.E.); Center for Forensic Imaging, Office of the Medical Investigator, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (J.E., N.L.A.); Center for Advanced Visualization Technologies in Medicine (VISTA), Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif (S.J.D.); Department of Radiological Sciences, Institute of Radiology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy (L.F.); Eurofins The Maastricht Forensic Institute, Maastricht, the Netherlands (J.J.F.K.); Institute of Forensic Medicine Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland (D.G., M.J.T.); and Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, Yale Translational Research Imaging Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn (A.J.S.).
Postmortem CT (PMCT) is a valuable tool in death investigation, supplementing or replacing traditional autopsy. Understanding its applications and interpretation nuances is crucial for accurate forensic radiology.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Radiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Radiography has been used in forensic medicine since the late 1890s.
- Computed Tomography (CT) was introduced to postmortem investigation in the 1970s.
- Forensic radiology has emerged as a subspecialty revolutionizing death investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce radiologists to the subspecialty of forensic imaging, focusing on Postmortem CT (PMCT).
- To discuss the applications, benefits, and limitations of PMCT in death investigation.
- To highlight the nuances of PMCT interpretation and the need for specialized training.
Main Methods:
- Review of postmortem imaging techniques, with a focus on PMCT.
- Discussion of PMCT applications in clinical and forensic settings.
- Emphasis on comparing clinical and postmortem imaging interpretation.
Main Results:
- PMCT is widely accepted as a supplementary or alternative tool to autopsy.
- Specialized knowledge is required to avoid interpretation pitfalls.
- Research in postmortem and forensic imaging is an evolving area.
Conclusions:
- Forensic imaging, particularly PMCT, is a growing field with significant potential.
- Accurate interpretation requires understanding the differences between clinical and postmortem imaging.
- Specialized education and training are essential for practitioners in postmortem imaging.
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