Autopsy imaging for cardiac tamponade in a Thoroughbred foal.
Abstract: Autopsy imaging (Ai), postmortem imaging before necropsy, is used in human forensic medicine. Ai was performed using computed tomography (CT) for a 1-month-old Thoroughbred foal cadaver found in a pasture. CT revealed pericardial effusion, collapse of the aorta, bleeding in the lung lobe, gas in the ventricles and liver parenchyma, and distension of the digestive tract. Rupture in the left auricle was confirmed by necropsy; however, it was not depicted on CT. Therefore, Ai and conventional necropsy are considered to complement each other. The cause of death was determined to be traumatic cardiac tamponade. In conclusion, Ai is an additional option for determining cause of death.
Publication Date: 2016-09-30 PubMed ID: 27703406PubMed Central: PMC5048358DOI: 10.1294/jes.27.115Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article demonstrates the usage of Autopsy Imaging, particularly CT scan, to determine the cause of death in a one-month-old Thoroughbred foal. The study found the cause to be traumatic cardiac tamponade and highlights how Autopsy Imaging could complement conventional necropsy methods.
Background
- Autopsy Imaging (AI) is a technique where postmortem imaging is conducted prior to physical autopsy, or necropsy in the case of animals. This technique is commonly used in human forensic medicine and aids in the process of identifying causes of death.
- In this study, AI was performed on a one-month-old Thoroughbred foal found dead in a pasture. The imaging was performed using Computed Tomography (CT), a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses special X-ray equipment to provide cross-sectional views of the body.
Findings
- The CT scan revealed several abnormalities: pericardial effusion, (fluid around the heart), collapse of the aorta, bleeding in the lung lobe, gas in the ventricles (part of the heart and brain) and liver parenchyma (functional tissue in the liver), and distension of the digestive tract.
- However, the CT imaging did not clearly reveal a rupture in the left auricle (upper left chamber) of the heart, which was confirmed by the necropsy.
- Despite this, both AI and conventional necropsy can work together to give a comprehensive understanding of the cause of death.
Conclusion
- Based on these findings, the research concludes that the cause of death of the foal was traumatic cardiac tamponade, a life-threatening condition caused by significant fluid accumulation around the heart.
- The study shows that AI can play a significant role in determining the cause of death and can serve as an additional tool complementing conventional necropsy techniques.
Cite This Article
APA
Yamada K, Sato F, Horiuchi N, Higuchi T, Kobayashi Y, Sasaki N, Nambo Y.
(2016).
Autopsy imaging for cardiac tamponade in a Thoroughbred foal.
J Equine Sci, 27(3), 115-118.
https://doi.org/10.1294/jes.27.115 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Present affiliation: Azabu University, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan.
- Hidaka Training and Research Center, Japan Racing Association, Hokkaido 057-0171, Japan.
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
- NOSAI Hidaka, Hokkaido 059-3105, Japan.
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
References
This article includes 11 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Maeda Y, Kanno C, Sugiyama M, Yamamoto R, Sato S, Ando R, Noda R, Kawaguchi H, Takahashi F. Sudden death in a Thoroughbred stallion: cardiac tamponade due to transverse aortic rupture with bone metaplasia and calcification. J Equine Sci 2025 Jun;36(2):75-79.
- Yamada K, Yokoyama T, Aihara N, Une Y, Sato R. Role of autopsy imaging-computed tomography in the post-mortem study of farm animals. Vet Rec Open 2021 Dec;8(1):e1.
- Yamada K, Toyotome T, Matsumoto N, Itoh M. Autopsy imaging for aspergillosis in King Penguin, an economically valuable zoo animal. J Vet Med Sci 2020 Mar 24;82(3):373-375.
- Szaluś-Jordanow O, Bonecka J, Pankowski F, Barszcz K, Tarka S, Kwiatkowska M, Polguj M, Mickiewicz M, Moroz A, Czopowicz M, Frymus T, Kaba J. Postmortem imaging in goats using computed tomography with air as a negative contrast agent. PLoS One 2019;14(4):e0215758.
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