Dilatation of the heart on postmortem computed tomography (PMCT): comparison with live CT.
OBJECTIVE
To delineate cardiac structures on postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and quantitatively to prove dilatation of the heart after death.


METHODS
Our subjects were 50 PMCT of non-traumatic deaths and 50 CT of living persons (live CT). We measured maximal and minimal diameters of the superior vena cava (SVC) at three levels (upper, middle, and lower), the inferior vena cava (IVC), pulmonary artery (PA), pulmonary vein (PV), right atrium (RA), and left atrium (LA). Then the product of maximal by minimal diameter and the eccentricity were calculated.


RESULTS
The maximal and minimal diameters of the heart were significantly longer than those on live CT except for 1) the maximal diameter of the SVC at the upper level and 2) the maximal diameter of the PA. All of the products of maximal by minimal diameter on PMCT were significantly larger than those on live CT. All of the eccentricities decreased significantly after death except LA.


CONCLUSIONS
The heart is dilated on PMCT, and the right side of it dilates toward a round shape.
Shiotani
Seiji
S
Department of Radiology, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital, Ibaraki, Japan.
Kohno
Mototsugu
M
Ohashi
Noriyoshi
N
Yamazaki
Kentaro
K
Nakayama
Hidetsugu
H
Watanabe
Ko
K
Itai
Yuji
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology