Management of medicolegal natural deaths from hemopericardium or hemothorax using postmortem CT scanning.
At the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine the forensic pathologist provides expert medical advice to the Coroner. Cases of natural death from hemopericardium and hemothorax are reasonably common in the forensic setting and are readily identifiable on postmortem CT (PMCT) scanning. The management of these cases raises interesting and challenging issues for the forensic pathologist. We present three cases in which PMCT angiography was useful in the management of each individual case and illustrate the potential of the technique in medico-legal death investigation.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, 57-83 Kavanagh St, Southbank, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. michaelb@vifm.org
Michael
M
Burke
Sarah
S
Parsons
Richard
R
Bassed
D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000792:Angiography; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000009:adverse effects; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005119:Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media