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Comparative Study
. 2020 Dec;22(12):1206-1213.
doi: 10.1177/1098612X20919310. Epub 2020 May 21.

Post-mortem CT vs necropsy in feline medicine

Laila M Ribas  1 , Mara Rr Massad  1 , Ana Cbcf Pinto  2 , Hock Gan Heng  3 , Tália M Tremori  1 , Sérvio Tj Reis  1 , Carina O Baroni  2 , Eduardo Massad  4 , Noeme S Rocha  1
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Post-mortem CT vs necropsy in feline medicine

Laila M Ribas et al. J Feline Med Surg. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare post-mortem CT findings with necropsy findings in domestic cats.

Methods: Post-mortem CT and necropsies were performed in 20 cadavers of domestic cats. The sensitivity, specificity and agreement between the post-mortem CT and necropsy findings were determined.

Results: There were a total of 315 post-mortem findings; 183 were identified by post-mortem CT and 132 were identified by necropsy. Post-mortem CT demonstrated a higher sensitivity to identify the findings mainly in bones. The higher indices of agreement between post-mortem CT and necropsy were related to abnormalities of pleural space, bones and joints.

Conclusions and relevance: This study demonstrated that post-mortem CT and necropsy provided different information. Thus, their use in conjunction with each other might improve the understanding of the cause of death and the identification of post-mortem lesions.

Keywords: Post-mortem examination; multislice computed tomography; radiology; veterinary pathology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mixed-breed male domestic cat. (a) Necropsy (background was manipulated to remove plate grooves) demonstrating a partial rupture in the dorsal extremity (head) of the spleen (black arrow), with an area of focal hematoma in the region of rupture. (b) Post-mortem CT transverse image in a soft tissue window (b) did not show the small rupture. White arrow points to the dorsal extremity of the spleen
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mixed-breed male domestic cat that was found dead on the road. Post-mortem CT images in three-dimensional volume-rendered (a) caudal, (b) right and (c) left lateral aspects of the skull demonstrating a zygomatic process fracture of the temporal bone in the right side (black and white circles), and a temporal process fracture of the zygomatic bone also on the right side (white and black dashed circles). However, during (d) necropsy, these fractures were not identified. Focal hemorrhage (white arrowheads) in the right frontal musculature was seen and assumed to be secondary to contusion
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mixed-breed female domestic cat that was hit by a vehicle. (a) Necropsy showing separation of the interincisive and median palatine sutures (white arrow) and mandibular symphysis (white arrowhead). Post-mortem CT images with three-dimensional volume-rendered (b) ventral and (c) frontal aspects, which also identify both separation of the interincisive and median palatine sutures (red arrowhead) and mandibular symphysis (white arrowhead)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Causes of death detected by each method (necropsy and post-mortem CT [PMCT]) in the nine cats that died of natural causes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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