Imaging and Minimally Invasive Biopsy for Postmortem Pulmonary Fat Embolism Diagnosis

Liauw Djai Yen (Department of Forensic and Medicolegal, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Krida Wacana Christian University, Jakarta)
Clara Valentina J (Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Krida Wacana Christian University, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Gabriella Hamid (Faculty of Medicine, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta)
Mutiara Jesslyn Taslim (Faculty of Medicine, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta)
Leonardo Leonardo (Faculty of Medicine, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta)
Florentina Reddy (Faculty of Medicine, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta)
Oscar Odillo Laman (Faculty of Medicine, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta)
Maria Zita (Faculty of Medicine, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta)

Majalah Kedokteran Bandung
Vol 53, No 4 (2021)

In recent years, imaging technologies and minimally invasive biopsy have been gaining importance in forensic settings. This study aimed to evaluate the role of imaging and minimally invasive biopsy in postmortem diagnosis of pulmonary fat embolism. This was a systematic literature review by using Pubmed, EBSCO-Host, and ProQuest to search for studies on postmortem diagnosis of pulmonary fat embolism with postmortem imaging and minimally invasive biopsy. Five studies were included in the systematic review. These studies employed the following diagnostic technics: postmortem computed tomography (PMCT), postmortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA), percutaneous needle biopsy (PNB), postmortem magnetic resonance (PMMR), and traditional autopsy. Imaging and minimally invasive biopsy are potential modalities that might complement or even replace traditional autopsy in diagnosing PFE. Further studies are needed to confirm the sensitivity and specificity of each technique.