Purpose: Postmortem vascular changes were quantitatively analyzed in the aorta and vena cava and compared with antemortem findings as a basis for distinguishing between normal postmortem changes and pathological changes.
Materials and methods: Whole-body computed tomography (CT) was performed on 12 individuals before and after death. The scans, performed at seven levels (five for the aorta, two for the vena cava) within the vasculature, allowed various measurements to be made on the same individual before and after death.
Results: Postmortem long-axis diameter, short-axis diameter, and the square of the radius of the aorta were 79.2-85.0 % (mean 81.3 %), 55.6-80.0 % (68.0 %), and 48.5-71.4 % (60.8 %) of the antemortem measurements, respectively. The ante- and postmortem measurements of the long and short axes and the caliber of the aorta were statistically different (p < 0.05). The superior vena cava (SVC) was increased in size: the short-axis diameter and the square of the radius were both statistically different after death. None of the measured parameters of the inferior vena cava (IVC) changed significantly following death.
Conclusion: In postmortem images, the aortic diameter decreased and changes in the size and shape of the SVC were noted. The IVC did not exhibit significant postmortem changes.