Whole body postmortem magnetic resonance angiography.
Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have become important elements of forensic radiology. Whereas the feasibility and potential of CT angiography have long been explored, postmortem MR angiography (PMMRA) has so far been neglected. We tested the feasibility of PMMRA on four adult human cadavers. Technical quality of PMMRA was assessed relative to postmortem CT angiography (PMCTA), separately for each body region. Intra-aortic contrast volumes were calculated on PMCTA and PMMRA with segmentation software. The results showed that technical quality of PMMRA images was equal to PMCTA in 4/4 cases for the head, the heart, and the chest, and in 3/4 cases for the abdomen, and the pelvis. There was a mean decrease in intra-aortic contrast volume from PMCTA to PMMRA of 46%. PMMRA is technically feasible and allows combining the soft tissue detail provided by MR and the information afforded by angiography.
Center for Forensic Imaging and Virtopsy, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. thomas.ruder@irm.uzh.ch
Thomas D
TD
Ruder
Gary M
GM
Hatch
Lars C
LC
Ebert
Patricia M
PM
Flach
Steffen
S
Ross
Garyfalia
G
Ampanozi
Michael J
MJ
Thali
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D002102:Cadaver; D003287:Contrast Media; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D014283:Triiodobenzoic Acids; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
D003287:Contrast Media; D014283:Triiodobenzoic Acids; C054871:ioversol