title: Quantitative analysis of intracranial hypostasis: comparison of early postmortem and antemortem CT findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze postmortem hypostasis in the intracranial venous sinus on head CT scans compared with the antemortem CT findings in the same patients with the aim of evaluating sedimentation in the heart and great vessels.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 50 patients on whom head CT was performed before and after death were enrolled. Attenuation in the dorsal part of the superior sagittal sinus was measured at the level of the basal ganglia on both antemortem and postmortem CT scans. Increased attenuation in the transverse sinus and cerebellar tentorium and sedimentation in the heart and great vessels were evaluated visually.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attenuation in the dorsal part of the superior sagittal sinus increased significantly (p < 0.0001) between antemortem (42.77 ± 6.23 HU) and postmortem (49.72 ± 10.58 HU) CT in 80% of cases. Increased attenuation of the transverse sinus or cerebellar tentorium was observed in 48% of cases and sedimentation in the heart or great vessels in 62% of cases. Increased attenuation in the superior sagittal sinus was clearly evident in patients with sedimentation in the heart or great vessels (antemortem, 43.81 ± 6.17 HU; postmortem, 54.65 ± 8.51 HU) compared with the patients without evidence of sedimentation (antemortem, 41.06 ± 6.10 HU; postmortem, 41.66 ± 8.57 HU) (p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intracranial hypostasis is a common postmortem CT finding. Radiologists and physicians who interpret postmortem neurologic images should be aware of intracranial hypostasis and differentiate this phenomenon from intracranial hemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Niigata City General Hospital, 463-7 Shumoku, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata 950-1197, Japan. nandtr@hosp.niigata.niigata.jp
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Satou
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Motoi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiotani
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirose
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002102:Cadaver; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003392:Cranial Sinuses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D054063:Superior Sagittal Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed