Virtopsy: postmortem imaging of the human heart in situ using MSCT and MRI

摘要: The rapid further development of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) induced the idea to use these techniques for postmortem documentation forensic findings. Until now, only a few institutes medicine have acquired experience in cross-sectional imaging. Protocols, image interpretation visualization be adapted conditions. Especially, alterations, such as putrefaction livores, different temperature corpse loss circulation are challenge process interpretation. Advantages higher exposure resolution available CT when there is no concern biologic effects ionizing radiation, lack cardiac motion artifacts during scanning. MRI may become useful tools medicine. In Bern, 80 human corpses underwent by prior traditional autopsy until month August 2003. Here, we describe appearance alterations--internal putrefaction, clotting--and distinguish them from findings heart, calcification, endocarditis, myocardial infarction, scarring, injury other morphological alterations.