Postmortem CT in decedents with SARS-CoV-2 infection. A single institution experience

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 produced a global pandemic with significant mortality. As autopsies are not routinely performed on all decedents with SARS-CoV-2 infection, postmortem CT (PMCT) may be valuable to provide additional information on the cause of death and risk factors known to be associated with an increased mortality in COVID-19. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the PMCT findings in a series of 42 decedents with SARS-CoV-2 infection from our institution. Retrospective analysis of 42 decedents who had a positive postmortem nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 and had a PMCT were included in this study. Images were reviewed for pulmonary findings seen in COVID-19 and other organ involvement. Of the 42 decedents, although the majority had imaging findings in the lungs that would be consistent with COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome, in 14% of the decedents the SARS-CoV-2 infection was likely coincidental and the PMCT findings suggested that they died from other pathology. Over half of the decedents that died from COVID-19 had PMCT findings of vascular disease. PMCT is useful to identify pulmonary and extra pulmonary findings in decedents with SARS-CoV-2 infection that can provide additional information, which may be useful for the forensic pathologist to help determine the underlying cause of death.

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Joint European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR) and International Society for Forensic Radiology and Imaging (ISFRI) guidelines: paediatric postmortem computed tomography imaging protocol

Postmortem CT for investigating childhood deaths is increasingly utilised as a noninvasive adjunct or alternative to standard autopsy; however there are no standardised published imaging protocols. This article describes a standardised imaging protocol that has been developed based on current practices of international postmortem imaging practitioners and experts. This recommendation is expected to be useful for postmortem imaging centres wishing to update their existing practices and for those starting paediatric postmortem CT as a new service.