Development and validation of methods for study of coronary and cerebral vessels using post-mortem contrasted computed tomography

• Grant number: 12/14561-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2012
• End date: September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Fernando Ferraz da Silva
• Grantee: Alfredo Camargo Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In recent years Computed Tomography Angiography has gained a large space in the diagnosis of vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, thromboembolism, and congenital malformations. Although the autopsy is still the gold standard to identify many diseases it has some limitations for the diagnosis of certain diseases secondary to vascular disorders such as myocardial infarction and hyper-acute ischemia. Some papers have been publishing new strategies of use of angiography for the diagnosis of post-mortem vascular changes, but it is still restricted to larger vessels and methods varies strongly according to the study center and objectives. This study aims to validate and standardize the post-mortem study of coronary and cerebral vascular branches by contrast injection through different routes, allowing the use of this technique in other projects. This project will be conducted in two phases: first, the heart and great vessels will be isolated and iodine contrast in different concentrations will be injected using different concentrations and forms of administration in order to define the best methodology for the visualization of the coronary and carotid system, in the second phase 20 cadavers will be selected at Sao Paulo Death Verification Service (SVOC) and the Phase 1 selected protocol will be applied and data on vascular alterations will be analyzed and compared with those from the traditional autopsy.(AU)