Abstract:

Literature report provides a critical analysis of the literature on the use of multislice computec tomography (MSCT) as an alternative to conventional autopsy in forensic examination in case of sudden death associated with target-organ damage in arterial hypertension (AH). The review was made using Internet resources: Scientific Electronic Library (elibrary), SciVerse (ScienceDirect), Scopus, PubMed, and Discover. The review includes only those articles that discuss both advantages and limitations of MSCT in the posthumous forensic sudden death of adults.

During analysis of the available literature, authors discuss the problem of posthumous use of MSCT imaging in arterial hypertension complications: myocardial infarction, brain stroke, aneurysm rupture and separation of the aortic wall. Authors tried to answer the question about possibilities of posthumous MSCT as an alternative to the traditional autopsy

Conclusion: native MSCT is suitable for imaging of intracranial hemorrhage and differential diagnosis of traumatic brain injury Method is suitable with restrictions for diagnosis of ischemic strokes, aneurysms and aortic dissection. Possibilities of native MSCT in the diagnosis of sudden death associated with the pathology of coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism is significantly limited. Using postmortem CTA, extends method in the diagnosis of lesions of the coronary arteries, aorta and pulmonary artery.

The main advantage of MSCT in the posthumous sudden death - the possibility of visualizing hidden mechanical damage in case of failure of the autopsy relatives. 

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