title: Common Postmortem Computed Tomography Findings Following Atraumatic Death: Differentiation between Normal Postmortem Changes and Pathologic Lesions.
abstract: Computed tomography (CT) is widely used in postmortem investigations as an adjunct to the traditional autopsy in forensic medicine. To date, several studies have described postmortem CT findings as being caused by normal postmortem changes. However, on interpretation, postmortem CT findings that are seemingly due to normal postmortem changes initially, may not have been mere postmortem artifacts. In this pictorial essay, we describe the common postmortem CT findings in cases of atraumatic in-hospital death and describe the diagnostic pitfalls of normal postmortem changes that can mimic real pathologic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. ; Department of Radiology, Mutual Aid Association for Tokyo Metropolitan Teachers and Officials, Sanraku Hospital, Tokyo 101-8326, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gonoi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okuma
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Go
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shirota
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukako
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shintani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takazawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukayama
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Kuni
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtomo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Autopsy imaging; Forensic radiology; Postmortem CT; Postmortem imaging