Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31455980›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of legal medicine2020

Postmortem imaging findings and cause of death determination compared with autopsy: a systematic review of diagnostic test accuracy and meta-analysis.

Garyfalia Ampanozi, Delaja Halbheer, Lars C Ebert, Michael J Thali, Ulrike Held

Abstract readComparative StudyEvaluation StudyMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of legal medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

28 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Postmortem CT: Applications in Clinical and Forensic Medicine.Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Cause of death and the autopsy rate in an elderly population.Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology · 2023
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Observational
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Scopolamine fatal outcome in an inmate after buscopan® smoking.International journal of legal medicine · 2021
    Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Garyfalia AmpanoziForensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190/52, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland. garyfalia.ampanozi@irm.uzh.ch.
Delaja HalbheerForensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190/52, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
Lars C EbertForensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190/52, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
Michael J ThaliForensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190/52, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
Ulrike HeldHorten Centre, University of Zurich, Pestalozzistrasse 24, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT), postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMR) and PMCT angiography (PMCTA) compared with autopsy in cases of adult death investigations.

methodsFor this systematic review and meta-analysis, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Medline were searched for eligible studies in October 2016; a follow-up literature search was conducted in March 2018. Studies referring to PMCT, PMCTA and/or PMMR of more than 3 cases with subsequent autopsy were included. Data were extracted from published texts in duplicate. The extracted outcomes were categorized as follows: soft tissue and organ findings, skeletal injuries, haemorrhages, abnormal gas accumulations and causes of death. The summary measure was sensitivity, if 3 or more studies were available. To combine studies, a random effects model was used. Variability and heterogeneity within the meta-analysis was assessed.

resultsOf 1053 studies, 66 were eligible, encompassing a total of 4213 individuals. For soft tissue and organ findings, there was a high pooled sensitivity with PMCTA (0.91, 95% CI 0.81-0.96), without evidence for between-study variability (Cochrane's Q test p = 0.331, I

conclusionDistinct postmortem imaging modalities can achieve high sensitivities for detecting various findings and causes of death. This knowledge should lead to a reasoned use of each modality. Both forensic evidence and in-hospital medical quality would be enhanced.

Indexed as

AdultAutopsyBlood Gas AnalysisBone and BonesCause of DeathComputed Tomography AngiographyHemorrhageHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingReference StandardsSensitivity and SpecificityTomography, X-Ray ComputedDiagnostic test accuracyMeta-analysisPostmortem computed tomographyPostmortem computed tomography angiographyPostmortem cross-sectional imagingPostmortem magnetic resonance imaging

Identifiers

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.