Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling via Post Mortem Ultrasound: A Feasible Tool (Not Only) in Infectious Diseases - A Case Report

TY - JOUR

T1 - Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling via Post Mortem Ultrasound: A Feasible Tool (Not Only) in Infectious Diseases - A Case Report

AU - Terence Azeke, Akhator

AU - Schädler, Julia

AU - Ondruschka, Benjamin

AU - Steurer, Stefan

AU - Möbius, Dustin

AU - Fitzek, Antonia

PY - 2023/8/10

Y1 - 2023/8/10

N2 - In the past years the number of hospital autopsies have declined steadily, becoming almost excluded from medical training. Medicolegal (forensic) autopsies account for almost all autopsies, whereas hospital autopsies are becoming increasingly rare. Minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) using post mortem ultrasound offers the opportunity to increase the number of post mortem examinations in a clinical and even forensic context. MITS is a needle-based post mortem procedure that uses (radiological) imaging techniques to examine major organs of the body, acquire tissue samples and aspirate fluid from the body cavities or hollow organs. In this study, MITS was used to determine the presence of other co-existing diseases in a deceased infected 97-year-old woman with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The examination of her body was carried out using ultrasound as an imaging tool and to gather ultrasound-guided biopsies as conventional autopsy was rejected by the next of kin. Ultrasound and histology identified an intravesical mass leading to an obstruction of the urinary outlet resulting in bilateral hydronephrosis and purulent pyelonephritis, which was unknown during her lifetime. Histopathological examination revealed the tumor mass to be a squamous cell carcinoma. This study has shown that MITS can be used to determine the cause of death and the presence of concomitant diseases in the infectious deceased.

AB - In the past years the number of hospital autopsies have declined steadily, becoming almost excluded from medical training. Medicolegal (forensic) autopsies account for almost all autopsies, whereas hospital autopsies are becoming increasingly rare. Minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) using post mortem ultrasound offers the opportunity to increase the number of post mortem examinations in a clinical and even forensic context. MITS is a needle-based post mortem procedure that uses (radiological) imaging techniques to examine major organs of the body, acquire tissue samples and aspirate fluid from the body cavities or hollow organs. In this study, MITS was used to determine the presence of other co-existing diseases in a deceased infected 97-year-old woman with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The examination of her body was carried out using ultrasound as an imaging tool and to gather ultrasound-guided biopsies as conventional autopsy was rejected by the next of kin. Ultrasound and histology identified an intravesical mass leading to an obstruction of the urinary outlet resulting in bilateral hydronephrosis and purulent pyelonephritis, which was unknown during her lifetime. Histopathological examination revealed the tumor mass to be a squamous cell carcinoma. This study has shown that MITS can be used to determine the cause of death and the presence of concomitant diseases in the infectious deceased.

U2 - 10.3390/diagnostics13162643

DO - 10.3390/diagnostics13162643

M3 - Case report

C2 - 37627902

VL - 13

JO - DIAGNOSTICS

JF - DIAGNOSTICS

SN - 2075-4418

IS - 16

M1 - 2643

ER -