Abstract
In the course of the pioneering virtopsy-driven cetacean stranding response program in the Hong Kong waters, postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and postmortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) imaging (PMMRI) have been implemented to provide supplementary or complementary information for conventional necropsy. Stranded carcasses are often badly degraded and susceptible to rapid cerebral autolysis and putrefaction. Necropsy on decomposed brains with limited sample analysis often defy a specific diagnosis. Studies on PMMR neuroimaging have been focused on neuroanatomy and brain morphology in freshly deceased or preserved specimens. The literature is devoid of any reference on the potential value of PMMRI examination of decomposed cetacean brains. This project evaluated the benefits of PMMR neuroimaging in situ in decomposed carcasses in comparison to PMCT. A total of 18 cetacean carcasses were studied by PMCT and PMMRI examinations. Anatomical brain structures and visible brain pathologies were evaluated and scored using Likert-scale rating. Intracranial gas accumulation was clearly depicted in all cases by all radiological techniques. Other features were more clearly depictable in PMMRI than in PMCT images. The results of the present study indicated that superiority of PMMRI compared to PMCT increased with advancing putrefaction in brain. The preservation of structural integrity was visualized by PMMRI due to its superior ability to depict soft tissue. PMMRI brain should be incorporated in postmortem investigation of decomposed stranded cetaceans.
Highlights
Virtopsy using postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and postmortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) imaging (PMMRI) has been implemented in the pioneering virtopsydriven cetacean stranding response program in Hong Kong (HK) waters, to provide vital or additional information for conventional necropsy (Kot et al, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020; Chan et al, 2017; Yuen et al, 2017)
This study indicated the superior capability of PMMRI compared to PMCT in depicting soft tissue and preservation of structural integrity increased with advancing putrefaction in the brain
Unlike clinical MRI examinations with contrast enhanced sequences and organ perfusion, PMMRI relied on the sole morphological presentation of the investigated structures since only structural tissue alterations alter image contrast (Jackowski et al, 2010)
Summary
Virtopsy using postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and postmortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) imaging (PMMRI) has been implemented in the pioneering virtopsydriven cetacean stranding response program in Hong Kong (HK) waters, to provide vital or additional information for conventional necropsy (Kot et al, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020; Chan et al, 2017; Yuen et al, 2017). PMCT on postmortem neuroimaging is mostly used to examine foreign bodies, skull fractures, and gas accumulation inside the brain (Levy et al, 2010). Limited access to PMMRI units, time autolysis (Klein et al, 2016), hampering stranding response personnel and veterinarians in the documentation of postmortem findings and tissue sampling (Tsui et al, 2020). To the best of our knowledge, formal literature is devoid of any reference on the potential values of PMMRI examination of decomposed cetacean brains. This present study aimed to evaluate and describe the possible benefits of PMMR neuroimaging in situ in decomposed cetacean carcasses in comparison to PMCT. Reconstructed matrix of 640 × 640 and FOV of 320 × 280 mm were used
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