[Modern postmortem coronary angiographic examination methods in the service of clinical cardiology (author's transl)].

The coronary vessels of the postmortal heart can be radiologically reproduced after being filled compactly with a contrast medium or by x-ray double contrast. All vessels are primarily filled by injecting contrast medium over the aorta, even when multiple orifices, ostiumstenoses, or artificial anastomoses exist. Further, the possibility is granted to reproduce the coronary ostia. A special process permits the radiological reproduction of postmortal coronary vessels in the same projection as used by clinical cardiologists intravitally. Stereoscopic x-ray pictures are easily produced, even when using an x-ray tube in fixed position. The radiological examination of horizontal heart slices combined with histological giant sections, allows an exact determination of the supplying areas of singular coronary vessels and their branches, as well as providing information about the relationship between coronary arterial and myocardial pathology. The double contrast x-ray method offers the advantage of a faultless reproduction of the coronary ostia and an estimation of the singular vessels, even with multiple overshadowing. In addition conclusions can be drawn from the changes of diameters of the coronary vessels under defined pressure as to the mechanical wall characteristics post-mortem. By means of these extended methods the postmortal radiological examination of coronary vessels can play an important role in the solution of scientific problems of clinical cardiology today.