Diagnostic value of unenhanced postmortem computed tomography in the detection of traumatic abdominal injuries

To determine the diagnostic capabilities of unenhanced postmortem computed tomography (UPMCT) in detecting traumatic abdominal injuries. Cases of traumatic death with both UPMCT and classical autopsy were collected retrospectively from our institution “virtopsy” database in a period of 5 years. Cada...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diagnostic and interventional imaging 2018-06, Vol.99 (6), p.397-402
Main Authors: Carballeira Álvarez, A., Mancini, J., Tuchtan-Torrents, L., Gach, P., Bartoli, C., Desfeux, J., Piercecchi, M.D., Gorincour, G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdominal injuries
Abdominal Injuries - diagnostic imaging
Accuracy study
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Autopsy - methods
Child
Child, Preschool
Computed tomography (CT)
Female
Forensic imaging
Humans
Life Sciences
Male
Middle Aged
Postmortem imaging
Retrospective Studies
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Young Adult
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Summary:To determine the diagnostic capabilities of unenhanced postmortem computed tomography (UPMCT) in detecting traumatic abdominal injuries. Cases of traumatic death with both UPMCT and classical autopsy were collected retrospectively from our institution “virtopsy” database in a period of 5 years. Cadavers with gunshot injuries were excluded. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, negative (NPV) and positive (PPV) predictive values of PMCT globally and for hemoperitoneum, liver, spleen, pancreas and kidney injuries individually were estimated using the autopsy report as gold standard. Seventy-one cadavers were included. UPMCT had a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity 94%, with an accuracy of 83%, a PPV of 98% and a NPV of 59% for the diagnosis of traumatic abdominal injuries. The highest sensitivity was obtained for the detection of hepatic injuries (71%) and the lowest for pancreatic injuries (12%). UPMCT had a specificity of 100% for the detection of hemoperitoneum. A NPV of 98% was found for the detection of perihepatic hematomas. The low sensitivity and low NPV do not support the use of UPMCT as an alternative to conventional autopsy to diagnose and/or rule out traumatic abdominal injuries. Nevertheless, UPMCT remains a helpful tool as it helps detect hemoperitoneum and virtually exclude presence of perihepatic hematomas.
ISSN:2211-5684
2211-5684
DOI:10.1016/j.diii.2017.12.015