Citation

Aghayev E, Jackowski C, Thali MJ, Yen K, Dirnhofer R, Sonnenschein M. Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 2008; 29(1): 86-88.

Affiliation

Center for Forensic Imaging and Virtopsy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. emin.aghayev@irm.unibe.ch

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PAF.0b013e318165c0d8

PMID

19749626

Abstract

Postmortem cross-sectional imaging in situ of nontraumatic human heart and of the heart with a penetrating trauma has already been described. In postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the diagnosis of blunt trauma to the heart was reported to be challenging. We examined a case of fatal vehicle accident with severe heart trauma, which underwent postmortem MSCT and MRI before autopsy. Both radiologic methods showed dislocation of the heart. Based on this finding a rupture of the pericardium was suspected. T2-weighted MRI sequence and MSCT images allowed for diagnosis of myocardium rupture. We conclude that postmortem MSCT and MRI performed in suspicion of blunt trauma to the heart in forensic cases are useful documentation and diagnostic tools.

Language: en