Usefulness of virtual autopsy in diagnosing pathologies in the paediatric population: A systematic review

Postmortem CT and MRI for detecting bowel obstruction in cases of pediatric sepsis deaths

This article describes the utility of postmortem CT and MRI in diagnosing pediatric bowel obstruction (BO) as the cause of septic shock-induced death. Six pediatric cases with confirmed septic shock were retrospectively analyzed. Postmortem CT scans revealed clear signs of BO in all cases, with volvulus, intussusception, diaphragmatic hernia, or Meckel's diverticulum identified. MRI scans, performed in three cases, did not provide additional diagnostic information. The presented case series highlights the potential of postmortem CT for diagnosing BO in children, potentially aiding in understanding the cause and manner of death. While MRI offered limited additional benefits, its role in conjunction with CT and autopsy warrants further exploration. Combining these modalities could enhance diagnostic accuracy and provide a more complete picture of the cause of death in children.

Pathological causes of sudden death in autopsied children with reference to peculiar findings: An Egyptian perspective

Childhood is a long period extending up to the age of 18 years. Childhood encompasses different developmental stages; each stage has specific characteristics. This 5-year study included 244 autopsied children who died unexpectedly due to natural causes. This study was conducted in the forensic pathology unit of the Egyptian Forensic Medicine Authority (EFMA). Pathological causes of death were diagnosed in 181 cases, representing nearly three-quarters (74.2 %) of cases. Males represented 60.8 % of these cases. More than half (51.4 %) of deaths due to natural disease occurred within the first month of life. The diagnosis was established for the first-time during autopsy in 58 % of cases. Prematurity complications and infections were the cause of death in 35.9 % and 30.4 % of deaths attributed to natural pathologies, respectively. Prematurity complications are the most common cause of death in perinatal (63.6) and neonatal (71.4 %) periods. Whereas infection is the most common cause of death during infancy (55 %), childhood (52.8 %), and adolescence (43.8 %). Pneumonia was the most common infection (61.8 %). This study highlighted cases with peculiar pathologies that include cardiomyopathies (idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVD)), Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome (WFS), ruptured cerebral cavernous hemangioma, and cerebellar medulloblastoma.