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Pulmonary embolus as cause of death in an adolescent: demonstration on postmortem CT

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Abstract

Computed tomography (CT) is widely accepted in adult forensic death investigations (determination of cause and manner of death) but is only beginning to play a larger role in the cause of death determination in infants and children. We present a case of an adolescent with nephrotic syndrome who sustained cardiac arrest and died in the emergency department. A postmortem CT was requested by the state Office of the Medical Examiner as part of the medicolegal death investigation. Postmortem CT showed a saddle pulmonary embolus that was confirmed on conventional autopsy, demonstrating a natural manner of death.

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Correspondence to Mary P. Harty.

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Harty, M.P., Harcke, H.T., Gould, S.W. et al. Pulmonary embolus as cause of death in an adolescent: demonstration on postmortem CT. Pediatr Radiol 48, 745–748 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-017-4041-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-017-4041-4

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