title: To see or not to see -- ambiguous findings on post-mortem cross-sectional imaging in a case of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.
abstract: We present a case of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with ambiguous accessory findings on post-mortem computed-tomography (PMCT), post-mortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) imaging, and PMCT-angiography (PMCTA) suggestive of thoracic aortic dissection. The diagnosis of ruptured AAA was confirmed by autopsy; however, there was no aortic dissection. The imaging findings that mimicked the presence of aortic dissection might have been an atypical presentation of post-mortem clotting or sedimentation. This case is an ideal example to illustrate benefits, limitations, and challenges of post-mortem cross-sectional imaging. It serves as a reminder that both, training as well as correlation of imaging findings with autopsy are fundamental to improve our understanding of radiologic findings on post-mortem cross-sectional imaging.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine and Imaging, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190/52, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kluschke
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Flach
authors.forename: Wolf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.forename: Garyfalia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ampanozi
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gascho
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vonlanthen
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Thali
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ruder
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D000792:Angiography; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001344:Autopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D049429:Forensic Pathology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Aortic dissection; Forensic radiology; Post-mortem CT; Post-mortem CT-angiography; Post-mortem MR; Ruptured aortic aneurysm; Virtopsy