CoVID-19 is a novel viral infection with now well-established clinical radiological findings. There is limited data on post-mortem imaging. We explore the proposition that PMCT could be used as screening test. In an 11-week period, 39 deceased persons were referred for medicolegal investigation with pre-existing or subsequent nasopharyngeal swabs showing positivity on SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing. All 39 had routine whole-body CT scans on admission and 12 underwent medicolegal autopsy. These cases were contrasted with 4 others which were negative on nasopharyngeal swabs despite PMCT findings suggestive of CoVID-19 pneumonia (designated false positive). Nine of the 12 autopsies showed lung histology consistent with those reported in CoVID-19 pneumonia. Typical clinical CoVID-19 lung findings on PMCT were only detected in 5 (42%). In 3 of the 4 false positive cases, lung findings showed non-COVID-19 histology but in 1, findings were identical. PMCT CoVID-19 findings in the lungs are therefore not specific and may not be detected in all cases due to obscuration by expected agonal CT findings or other pathologies that pre-dated SARS-CoV-2 infection. PMCT findings may otherwise be subtle. Although PMCT may hint at CoVID-19, we believe that nasopharyngeal swabs are still required for definitive diagnosis. Even with positive swabs, clinical CoVID-19 lung findings on PMCT are often not detected. PMCT findings can be subtle, extreme or obscured by agonal changes. Given this range of PMCT changes, the challenge for pathologists is to determine whether death has been caused by, or merely associated with, SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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A 25 year old male died suddenly and unexpectedly. Postmortem CT scanning revealed marked raised intracranial pressure with brainstem compression due to subarachnoid, subdural and parenchymal hemorrhage. A hyperdense mass at the termination of the right internal carotid artery was thought to represent an aneurysm. Postmortem, whole body CT angiography failed to fill the aneurysm but did demonstrate multiple central pontine linear enhancing structures in continuity with the mid basilar artery and small foci of contrast leak into the adjacent mid pontine parenchyma. Autopsy confirmed subarachnoid hemorrhage, a thrombosed and ruptured proximal right middle cerebral artery aneurysm and Duret hemorrhages in the mid pons. This finding supports the theory that Duret hemorrhages occur as a result of perforating pontine branch of the basilar arterial rupture but does not exclude the contribution of venous congestion.