Postmortem computed tomography and imaging-guided biopsy: Exploring applications and limitations in clinical practice

This thesis investigates the potential of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) as a non-invasive alternative to traditional autopsies, focusing on its effectiveness, limitations, and role in clinical practice. While traditional autopsies have declined globally, PMCT offers a less intrusive option, preserving the body and easing consent from next of kin. PMCT captures detailed cross-sectional images, which can be stored and shared, although it lacks the depth of analysis that autopsies provide, such as tissue sampling. Studies show PMCT's high accuracy in determining causes of death, particularly when combined with postmortem sampling (PMS), though limitations exist in detecting certain pathologies. The detection of intravascular pathology is notoriously difficult with PMCT and pulmonary pathology is often overestimated. Despite these challenges, PMCT combined with PMS enhances diagnostic capabilities and offers a feasible alternative, suggesting a hybrid approach with autopsy could improve postmortem standards and retain valuable insights for medical and forensic investigations.