Table 2
CT (ADULT)
Author
Number
of
cases
Population of cases
Time for image
acquisition
Comment
DONCHIN et al
1994 (12)
13
Trauma
~20 minutes
25% findings on CT alone – (air, and bony injury)
30% findings on conventional autopsy alone –
(soft tissue/organ damage)
FARKASH et al
2000 (13)
4
Military penetrating
trauma
(not gunshot)
N/S
In 2 detailed cases,
“the superiority of autopsy in providing essential
information regarding all the physical damage
and the ammunition is clearly seen”
SHIOTANI et al
2004 (14)
16
Sudden death in the
community
N/S
Cannot be determined from details provided
HAMANO et al
2004 (15)
1
Sudden death in the
community
N/S
CT: “…asphyxia from massive haemoptysis…
post-primary tuberculosis” confirmed at autopsy
HAYAKAWA et al
2006 (16)
3
Unnatural
N/S
100% - a) subdural haematoma
b) liver contusion
c) intracerebral
haemorrhage
POULSON &
SIMONSEN
2007 (17)
~500
Medicolegal autopsy
(Copenhagen)
N/S
(Performed by
forensic
pathologist)
CT: “…second to none … extremity bone lesions
… pelvic fractures” but “In estimation of
cardiac conditions such as size and
coronary atheromatosis … has limited value
…”
LETH
2007 (18)
~100
Medicolegal autopsy
(Odense)
~10 mins.
(Performed by
forensic
medicine
specialist)
CT: “In 58 cases, important findings at autopsy
were not found … CT scanning seems to be
most useful in cases of traumatic death”
PM: “In 11 of the cases, important findings …
were not seen at autopsy…” (7 bone
lesions, 2 pneumothoraces, 2 cardiac
compression by hydrothorax).
LEVY et al
2007 (19)
Data from 1992-1995
6
Military air mishaps
N/S
CT: “more sensitive than autopsy in detecting
abnormally located air collections...”
HOEY et al
2007 (20)
12
Blunt trauma
(died in <24 hours)
N/S
CT: “…demonstrated the majority of findings on
the autopsy …. there were three
vascular injuries that were not clearly
seen…” (and one splenic laceration)
RUTTY et al
2007 (21)
6
Road traffic incident
~10-15 mins.
CT: “Several fractures … were not appreciated
on autopsy … stable, posterior cervical
vertebral, maxillary, nasal and scapula…”
“…cardiac tears … and … aortic damage
….not possible to confidently diagnose
those entities despite revisiting the images.”
ROSS ET AL
2008 (22)
10
Forensic autopsy
at least 3 trauma
N/S
Postmortem whole-body CT angiography “with a
modified heart-lung machine” – “visualisation of
vascular abnormalities is possible. This may
augment clinical and forensic postmortem
examinations and, in combination with imagingguided specimen sampling for histology and
toxicology and whole-body CT and MRI, serve as
a viable compromise to autopsy…”