Normal perinatal and paediatric postmortem magnetic resonance imaging appearances.

Owen J. Arthurs,Neil J. Sebire,Joy L. Barber,Andrew M. Taylor

doi:10.1007/s00247-014-3166-y

Abstract

As postmortem imaging becomes more widely used following perinatal and paediatric deaths, the correct interpretation of images becomes imperative, particularly given the increased use of postmortem magnetic resonance imaging. Many pathological processes may have similar appearances in life and following death. A thorough knowledge of normal postmortem changes is therefore required within postmortem magnetic resonance imaging to ensure that these are not mistakenly interpreted as significant pathology. Similarly, some changes that are interpreted as pathological if they occur during life may be artefacts on postmortem magnetic resonance imaging that are of limited significance. This review serves to illustrate briefly those postmortem magnetic resonance imaging changes as part of the normal changes after death in fetuses and children, and highlight imaging findings that may confuse or mislead an observer to identifying pathology where none is present.

Highlights

As postmortem imaging becomes more widely used following perinatal and paediatric deaths, the correct interpretation of images becomes imperative, given the increased use of postmortem magnetic resonance imaging
As with all new imaging domains, there are several potential pitfalls and errors that can be made during postmortem magnetic resonance imaging interpretation, in differentiating the normal postmortem changes from pathology, and recognizing several postmortem changes, which may be incorrectly interpreted as pathology or requiring further investigation
There are changes that occur in a body following death, either in utero or during the interval from death to autopsy, which result in features considered to be normal postmortem changes

Summary

Introduction

As postmortem imaging becomes more widely used following perinatal and paediatric deaths, the correct interpretation of images becomes imperative, given the increased use of postmortem magnetic resonance imaging. We illustrate postmortem magnetic resonance imaging changes that occur normally after death in fetuses and children, and highlight imaging findings that may confuse or mislead an observer to identifying pathology where none is present, from our experience of more than 500 postmortem magnetic resonance imaging examinations at a specialist children’s hospital.

Results

Conclusion