Quantitative analysis of vascular signs on early postmortem multi-detector computed tomography

PURPOSE To clarify the postmortem multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) vascular signs that occur shortly after death. MATERIALS AND METHODS The vascular signs in MDCT images were evaluated quantitatively in 96 early postmortem cardiac arrest patients, 47 cardiac arrest patients who survived due to resuscitation and 47 control patients without cardiac arrest. RESULTS Elliptical (40 cases) or collapsed deformity (2 cases, in only the abdominal aorta) and high-attenuated sedimentation (19 cases in the aorta and 10 cases in superior or inferior vena cava) were limited to the postmortem patients. The incidence of elliptical deformity was higher for the abdominal aorta, descending thoracic aorta and ascending thoracic aorta in rank. The sedimentation was observed in the ascending thoracic aorta with a higher frequency than in the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta. A high-attenuating wall in any portion of the aorta was observed in 34 of the postmortem patients, 11 of the surviving patients and 10 of the control group, with a predominance of the ascending thoracic aorta. CONCLUSION Elliptical deformity in the abdominal and descending thoracic aorta and high-attenuated sedimentation in the ascending thoracic aorta were shown to be signs of postmortem MDCT shortly after death.