Imaging findings of diabetes on post-mortem CT

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic, metabolic disease primarily defined by elevated levels of blood glucose. Long term effects of micro- and macrovascular damage may affect the cardio-vascular system, genitourinary tract, abdominal organs, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system. Diabetes can be challenging to detect at autopsy and if investigators are unaware of the medical history at the time of the autopsy the diagnosis may be missed. Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) is able to detect a number of radiologic findings associated with diabetes, including obese stature, atherosclerosis, left ventricular hypertrophy, renal atrophy, residual opacification of the urinary tract from clinical CT, bladder over-distension, and calcification of the vas deferens. Signs of diabetes on pre-autopsy PMCT may direct additional investigations to confirm the diagnosis and account for the potential impact of diabetes on the cause of death.