Forensic pathologists have to deal with post-mortem changes of the human body. Those post-mortem phenomena are familiar and largely described in thanatology. However, knowledge about the influence of post-mortem phenomena on the vascular system is more limited, except for the apparition and development of cadaveric lividity. The introduction of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the forensic field and the expansion of their usage in medico-legal routine, allow for exploring the inside of corpses differently and may play a part in the understanding of thanatological processes. This study aimed to describe post-mortem changes in the vascular system by investigating the presence of gas and collapsed vessels.

We investigated post-mortem MDCT data of 118 human bodies. Cases with internal/external bleeding or corporal lesion allowing contamination with external air were excluded. Major vessels and heart cavities were systematically explored and a trained radiologist semi-quantitatively assessed the presence of gas.

Collapsed veins were observed in 61.9% of cases (CI95% 52.5 to 70.6) and arteries in 33.1% (CI95% 24.7 to 42.3). Vessels most often affected were for arteries: common iliac (16.1%), abdominal aorta (15.3%), external iliac (13.6%), and for veins: infra-renal vena cava (45.8%), common iliac (22.0%), renal (16.9%), external iliac (16.1%), and supra-renal vena cava (13.6%). Cerebral arteries and veins, coronary arteries, and subclavian vein were unaffected. The presence of collapsed vessels was associated with a minor degree of cadaveric alteration. We observed that arteries and veins follow the same pattern of gas apparition for both the quantity and the location.

In post-mortem radiology, collapsed vessels and intravascular gas are frequently visualized and as a result of all post-mortem changes, the assessment of the distribution of blood can be confusing. Therefore, knowledge of thanatological phenomena is crucial to prevent post-mortem radiological misapprehensions and possible false diagnoses.