Abstract
In the present study, we evaluated post-mortem lateral cerebral ventricle (LCV) changes using computed tomography (CT). Subsequent periodical CT scans termed “sequential scans” were obtained for three cadavers. The first scan was performed immediately after the body was transferred from the emergency room to the institute of legal medicine. Sequential scans were obtained and evaluated for 24 h at maximum. The time of death had been determined in the emergency room. The sequential scans enabled us to observe periodical post-mortem changes in CT images. The series of continuous LCV images obtained up to 24 h (two cases)/16 h (1 case) after death was evaluated. The average Hounsfield units (HU) within the LCVs progressively increased, and LCV volume progressively decreased over time. The HU in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) increased at an individual rate proportional to the post-mortem interval (PMI). Thus, an early longitudinal radiodensity change in the CSF could be potential indicator of post-mortem interval (PMI). Sequential imaging scans reveal post-mortem changes in the CSF space which may reflect post-mortem brain alterations. Further studies are needed to evaluate the proposed CSF change markers in correlation with other validated PMI indicators.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00414-016-1327-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
In forensic practice, post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) provides important information prior to an autopsy [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
PMCT has become popular among forensic practitioners in recent years and is a useful method for estimating and investigating cause of death before conducting a conventional autopsy [34, 35]
PMCT has only been available for approximately 10 years; systematic research observing post-mortem changes via CT is rare
Summary
In forensic practice, post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) provides important information prior to an autopsy [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Diseaseoriented pathological brain edema and post-mortem cerebral change appear similar on CT scans [20].
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