Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Management of medicolegal natural deaths from hemopericardium or hemothorax using postmortem CT scanning

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

At the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine the forensic pathologist provides expert medical advice to the Coroner. Cases of natural death from hemopericardium and hemothorax are reasonably common in the forensic setting and are readily identifiable on postmortem CT (PMCT) scanning. The management of these cases raises interesting and challenging issues for the forensic pathologist. We present three cases in which PMCT angiography was useful in the management of each individual case and illustrate the potential of the technique in medico-legal death investigation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. O’Donnell C, Woodford N. Post-mortem radiology—a new sub-specialty? Clin Radiol. 2008;63(11):1189–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Yuan SM, Jing H. Marfan’s syndrome: an overview. Sao Paulo Med J. 2010;128(6):360–6.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Dwivedi AJ, Hamdallah O, Morris ME, Yancey AE, Ross CB. Varying presentations in patients with symptomatic IV vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Vasc Endovascular Surg. 2012;46(2):163–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Grabherr S, Doenz F, Steger B, Dirnhofer R, Dominguez A, Sollberger B, Gygax E, Rizzo E, Chevallier C, Meuli R, Mangin P. Multi-phase post-mortem angiography: development of a standardized protocol. Int J Legal Med. 2011;125(6):791–802.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Rutty G, Saunders S, Morgan B, Raj V. Targeted cardiac post-mortem computer tomography angiography: a pictorial review. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2012;8(1):40–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Medicine, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, 57-83 Kavanagh St, Southbank, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Michael Burke, Sarah Parsons & Richard Bassed

Authors
  1. Michael Burke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sarah Parsons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Richard Bassed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Burke.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Burke, M., Parsons, S. & Bassed, R. Management of medicolegal natural deaths from hemopericardium or hemothorax using postmortem CT scanning. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 8, 367–372 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-012-9347-9

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-012-9347-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation