Post-mortem CT vs necropsy in feline medicine

Objectives The aim of this study was to compare post-mortem CT findings with necropsy findings in domestic cats. Methods Post-mortem CT and necropsies were performed in 20 cadavers of domestic cats. The sensitivity, specificity and agreement between the post-mortem CT and necropsy findings were determined. Results There were a total of 315 post-mortem findings; 183 were identified by post-mortem CT and 132 were identified by necropsy. Post-mortem CT demonstrated a higher sensitivity to identify the findings mainly in bones. The higher indices of agreement between post-mortem CT and necropsy were related to abnormalities of pleural space, bones and joints. Conclusions and relevance This study demonstrated that post-mortem CT and necropsy provided different information. Thus, their use in conjunction with each other might improve the understanding of the cause of death and the identification of post-mortem lesions.