title: Post-mortem virtual estimation of free abdominal blood volume.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the reliability of virtually estimated abdominal blood volume using segmentation from postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one cases with free abdominal blood were investigated by PMCT and autopsy. The volume of the blood was estimated using a manual segmentation technique (Amira, Visage Imaging, Germany) and the results were compared to autopsy data. Six of 21 cases had undergone additional post-mortem computed tomographic angiography (PMCTA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The virtually estimated abdominal blood volumes did not differ significantly from those measured at autopsy. Additional PMCTA did not bias data significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Virtual estimation of abdominal blood volume is a reliable technique. The virtual blood volume estimation is a useful tool to deliver additional information in cases where autopsy is not performed or in cases where a postmortem angiography is performed.
authors: Center of Forensic Imaging and Virtopsy, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, CH 3012 Bern, Switzerland. garyfalia.ampanozi@irm.uzh.ch
authors: Garyfalia
authors: G
authors: Ampanozi
authors: Gary M
authors: GM
authors: Hatch
authors: Thomas D
authors: TD
authors: Ruder
authors: Patricia M
authors: PM
authors: Flach
authors: Tanja
authors: T
authors: Germerott
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Thali
authors: Lars C
authors: LC
authors: Ebert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D001810:Blood Volume; D001811:Blood Volume Determination / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult