Complete cardiac and bronchial avulsion in a dog: Post-mortem computed tomography and forensic necropsy analysis

Post-mortem CT vs necropsy in feline medicine

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to compare post-mortem CT findings with necropsy findings in domestic cats.

METHODS

Post-mortem CT and necropsies were performed in 20 cadavers of domestic cats. The sensitivity, specificity and agreement between the post-mortem CT and necropsy findings were determined.

RESULTS

There were a total of 315 post-mortem findings; 183 were identified by post-mortem CT and 132 were identified by necropsy. Post-mortem CT demonstrated a higher sensitivity to identify the findings mainly in bones. The higher indices of agreement between post-mortem CT and necropsy were related to abnormalities of pleural space, bones and joints.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study demonstrated that post-mortem CT and necropsy provided different information. Thus, their use in conjunction with each other might improve the understanding of the cause of death and the identification of post-mortem lesions.

Ventilated postmortem computed tomography to evaluate the lungs of dogs with and without focal lung lesions

OBJECTIVE

To identify the optimal ventilation pressure for ventilated postmortem CT assessment of the lungs in cadaveric dogs and compare the optimal ventilation pressures between dogs with and without focal lung lesions.

SAMPLE

12 cadaveric dogs.

PROCEDURES

CT was performed with dogs positioned in sternal recumbency within 30 to 180 minutes after death. After orotracheal intubation, lungs were aerated to ventilation pressures of 0, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 cm H₂O. Lung attenuation measurements were made at 5 predetermined anatomical locations with use of a multi-image analysis graphic user interface tool. Lungs were considered hyperaerated (-1000 to -901 HU), normo-aerated (-900 to -501 HU), poorly aerated (-500 to -101 HU), and nonaerated (-100 to 100 HU) on the basis of lung attenuation values. Optimal ventilation pressure was defined as the pressure at which the percentage of normo-aerated lung was greatest. For analysis, dogs were assigned to one group when focal lung lesions were evident and to another group when lesions were not evident.

RESULTS

Median optimal ventilation pressure was significantly higher for those dogs with lung lesions (35 cm H₂O), compared with those without (25 cm H₂O).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

A ventilation pressure of 35 cm H₂O may be considered for ventilated postmortem CT to determine the presence of focal lung lesions; however, further investigation is required.