Unexpected brain finding in pre-autopsy postmortem CT

• DOI: 10.1007/s12024-017-9880-7
• Publication Date: 2017-06-06T23:07:10Z
• Authors: Vasiliki Chatzaraki; Stephan A. Bolliger; Michael J. Thali; Sebastian Eggert; Thomas D. Ruder
• Keywords: Forensic Pathology; Brain abscess

A case is presented in which pre-autopsy postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) revealed an unexpected brain abscess with a related frontal sinusitis and an erosion of the posterior wall of the frontal sinus. PMCT findings enabled the forensic pathologists to adapt protective measures during autopsy and protect their health from infection. Pre-autopsy PMCT has been also useful in the early differential diagnosis procedure. The complementary use of postmortem imaging and autopsy can improve the quality of forensic death investigations.