Postmortem angiography after vascular perfusion with diesel oil and a lipophilic contrast agent.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of our study was to establish optimal perfusion conditions for high-resolution postmortem angiography that would permit dynamic visualization of the arterial and venous systems.


METHODS
Cadavers of two dogs and one cat were perfused with diesel oil through a peristaltic pump. The lipophilic contrast agent Lipiodol Ultra Fluide was then injected, and angiography was performed. The efficiency of perfusion was evaluated in the chick chorioallantoic membrane.


RESULTS
Vessels could be seen up to the level of the smaller supplying and draining vessels. Hence, both the arterial and the venous sides of the vascular system could be distinguished. The chorioallantoic membrane assay revealed that diesel oil enters microvessels up to 50 microm in diameter and that it does not penetrate the capillary network.


CONCLUSIONS
After establishing a postmortem circulation by diesel oil perfusion, angiography can be performed by injection of Lipiodol Ultra Fluide. The resolution of the images obtained up to 3 days after death is comparable to that achieved in clinical angiography.
Grabherr
Silke
S
Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, IRM, Buehlstrasse 20, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. silke.grabherr@virtopsy.com
Djonov
Valentin
V
Friess
Armin
A
Thali
Michael J
MJ
Ranner
Gerhard
G
Vock
Peter
P
Dirnhofer
Richard
R
D000792:Angiography; D000818:Animals; D002102:Cadaver; D002415:Cats; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002642:Chick Embryo; D049033:Chorioallantoic Membrane / Q000098:blood supply; D004285:Dogs; D005648:Fuel Oils; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007459:Iodized Oil; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D005648:Fuel Oils; D007459:Iodized Oil