title: Hyperattenuating aortic wall on postmortem computed tomography (PMCT).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantitatively evaluate the finding of hyperattenuating aortic wall on postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and investigate its causes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our subjects were 50 PMCT of non-traumatic deaths and 50 CT of living persons (live CT). The ascending aorta at the level of the carina was visually assessed regarding the presence or absence of hyperattanuating aortic wall and hematocrit effect on PMCT and live CT. The diameter, thickness of the aortic wall, and CT number (HU) of the aortic wall and the lumen were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hyperattenuating aortic wall was detected in 100% of PMCT and 2% of live CT. The diameter of the aortic wall was 2.9 +/- 0.5 cm on PMCT and 3.5 +/- 0.5 cm on live CT, showing a significant difference. The thickness of the aortic wall was 2 mm on PMCT. Hematocrit effect was observed in 46% of PMCT and in none of live CT. With PMCT, there was a significant difference between the CT numbers of the upper and lower half portions of the lumen (19.6 +/- 11.7/30.9 +/- 12.9), whereas, with live CT, there was no such significant difference (37.4 +/- 7.6/38.9 +/- 6.7), with the overall value of 38.2 +/- 6.7. The CT number of the aortic wall was 49.9 +/- 10.9 on PMCT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The causes of hyperattenuating aortic wall on PMCT are considered to be increased attenuation due to contraction of the aortic wall, a lack of motion artifact, and decreased attenuation of the lumen due to dilution of blood after massive infusion at the time of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiotani
authors.forename: Mototsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohno
authors.forename: Noriyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Kentaroh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Hidetsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaga
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ebashi
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001027:Aortography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed