Department of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital Bucheon, Bucheon.
Department of Forensic Medicine, National Forensic Service, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
J Thorac Imaging. 2019 Sep;34(5):286-298. doi: 10.1097/RTI.0000000000000398.
With the introduction of modern imaging technology into the forensic field, postmortem imaging, particularly postmortem computed tomography (PMCT), has gained increasing importance in forensic investigations of deaths. In recent years, PMCT, which aims to provide observer-independent, reproducible forensic assessment in a minimally invasive manner, has been incorporated into routine forensic practice in many medicolegal institutions worldwide as a complement to autopsy. To address questions with regard to vascular pathologies, postmortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA) has been developed and has become a useful tool for exploring the vascular system. Currently, these techniques play roles in screening for potential pathologies for later autopsy confirmation, facilitating focused dissection of the target area, and visualizing lesions that would be difficult or impossible to detect during autopsy. Adequate image interpretation requires knowledge and understanding of postmortem changes in the body and artefacts related to PMCT and PMCTA. This article reviews the PMCT and PMCTA techniques in terms of their indications, applications, advantages, and limitations for cardiothoracic applications. Our findings will enhance readers' understanding of emerging CT techniques in forensic radiology.
随着现代成像技术在法医学领域的引入，死后成像，特别是死后计算机断层扫描（PMCT），在法医对死亡案件的调查中变得越来越重要。近年来，PMCT 旨在以微创的方式提供客观、可重复的法医评估，已被纳入全球许多法医机构的常规法医实践中，作为尸检的补充。为了解决血管病理学方面的问题，已经开发出了死后计算机断层血管造影（PMCTA），并已成为探索血管系统的有用工具。目前，这些技术在筛选潜在病理学方面发挥着作用，以便在以后的尸检中进行确认，有助于对目标区域进行有针对性的解剖，并可视化在尸检中难以或不可能检测到的病变。要进行充分的图像解读，需要了解和理解死后人体变化以及与 PMCT 和 PMCTA 相关的伪影。本文综述了 PMCT 和 PMCTA 技术在心胸应用方面的适应证、应用、优点和局限性。我们的研究结果将增强读者对法医学中新兴 CT 技术的理解。
