1st Edition

Essentials of Forensic Imaging A Text-Atlas

By Angela D. Levy, Jr. Harcke Copyright 2011
    282 Pages
    by CRC Press

    282 Pages 162 Color Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Forensic imaging with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and other cross-sectional imaging modalities is a rapidly evolving field. Understanding the pathological basis of disease and death is fundamental to the interpretation of radiologic images. Forming a bridge between these distinct disciplines, Essentials of Forensic Imaging: A Text-Atlas brings the long tradition of radiologic pathologic correlation to forensic radiology and autopsy.





    Providing readers with a technical and interpretive foundation for applying modern cross-sectional imaging to forensic autopsy, the book integrates more than 300 color autopsy photographs with postmortem MDCT and radiography in a topical format. Organized by cause of death, the rich pictorial display of case material that accompanies the text establishes a contextual understanding. Readers can learn the diagnostic value of imaging applied to forensic autopsy by correlating specific causes of death with their respective forensic and radiologic principles. Causes of death covered in this practical volume include:









    • Gunshot wounds


    • Blunt force injury


    • Fire and burn injury


    • Blast injury


    • Drowning and other deaths in water


    • Suicide


    • Natural causes


    • Asphyxia


    • Electrocution






    As forensic imaging becomes more advanced, the possibilities for its use in autopsy continue to grow, as do the opportunities for application in related areas. In the final chapter, these expert authors also discuss the use of MDCT in the assessment of medical intervention, exhumation and second autopsy, and anthropology.

    Introduction to Forensic Imaging. Integrating Imaging and Autopsy. Postmortem Change and Decomposition. Gunshot Wounds. Blunt Force Injury. Death from Fire and Burns. Blast Injury. Sharp Force Injury. Death by Drowning and Bodies Found in Water. Suicide. Natural Death. Other Causes of Death. Beyond Standard Autopsy.



    Biography

    Angela D. Levy, H. Theodore Harcke\, Jr.

    "Essentials of Forensic Imaging far surpasses the few previous texts on the topic, both as a reference and as an atlas. … I highly recommend the addition of Essentials of Forensic Imaging to the library of every forensic practice, and the text should become a standard reference for radiologists interested in death investigation."
    —James L. Caruso, Journal of Forensic Sciences, September 2011

    "The work is very well done and makes a significant contribution to the literature on the topic … . [It] addresses, and is applicable to, the whole range of forensic autopsies. The printing and illustration quality is outstanding."
    —Joel Lichtenstein, M.D., University of Washington

    "As the number of traditional autopsies continues to decline and as imaging technology becomes ever more sophisticated, radiological procedures, particularly multi-detector computed tomography, are being adapted for death investigation. These methods have demonstrated importance for detection and documentation of anatomic and pathologic alterations in the setting of un-natural death. … The book is unusually well illustrated through correlation of photographs and radiological images of the highest quality. … The book is certain to find extended use in training programs and daily death investigation and documentation."
    —William A. Murphy, Jr., M.D., Professor of Radiology and John S. Dunn, Sr. Distinguished Chair in Diagnostic Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

    "I believe that the book will be useful for practicing forensic pathologists. The numerous examples covering a wide variety of forensic cases … illustrate the value of imaging techniques in medicolegal death investigation."
    —Dr. John Butts, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill