Abstract
Estimating early postmortem interval (EPI) is a difficult task in daily forensic activity due to limitations of accurate and reliable methods. The aim of the present work is to describe a novel approach in the estimation of EPI based on quantitative magnetic resonance molecular imaging (qMRMI) using a pig phantom since post-mortem degradation of pig meat is similar to that of human muscles. On a pig phantom maintained at 20° degree, using a 1.5 T MRI scanner we performed 10 scans (every 4 hours) monitoring apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA) magnetization transfer ration (MTR), tractography and susceptibility weighted changes in muscles until 36 hours after death. Cooling of the phantom during the experiment was recorded. Histology was also obtained. Pearson’s Test was carried out for time correlation between post-mortem interval and MRI data. We found a significative inverse correlation between ADC, FA, MT values and PMI. Our preliminary data shows that post-mortem qMRMI is a potential powerful tool in accurately determining EPI and is worth of further investigation.
Highlights
Determination of the postmortem interval (PMI) and early postmortem interval (EPI) is one of the most challenging and difficult task in daily forensic activity due to limitations of accurate and reliable methods
We found a highly significative inverse time correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and PMI
ADC decrease was 40% and it was well depicted in the color-coded maps (Fig. 2)
Summary
Determination of the postmortem interval (PMI) and early postmortem interval (EPI) is one of the most challenging and difficult task in daily forensic activity due to limitations of accurate and reliable methods. Since its introduction 30 years back, the normogram method by Henßge has been established as the standard procedure of temperature-based death time determination in the early post-mortem period[1,2,3]. Other alterations after death include the development and regression of rigor mortis, the progression of livor mortis and algor mortis[5]. These methods are employed to delimitate the PMI in everyday forensic work, there are still great inaccuracies and limitations in many cases. Post-mortem imaging has some well-known limitations, today pre-autopsy post-mortem CT (PMCT) and/or post-mortem MR (PMMR) are considered useful procedures in many forensic institutes world-wide[11,12] with good performances for depicting cause of death, traumatic findings in corpses and in the definition of post-mortem interval[11,13,14,15]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
