Virtopsy-Postmortem Multislice Computed Tomography (MSCT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in a Fatal Scuba Diving Incident

The body of a 44-year-old scuba diver was examined using postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and findings were verified by subsequent autopsy. The goal was to find out whether the important pathomorphological findings for the reconstruction of event...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of forensic sciences 2003-11, Vol.48 (6), p.1-9
Main Authors: Plattner, T, Thali, MJ, Yen, K, Sonnenschein, M, Stoupis, C, Vock, P, Zwygart-Brugger, K, Kilchor, T, Dirnhofer, R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen - pathology
Adult
Autopsy - methods
Barotrauma - diagnosis
Brain - pathology
Decompression Sickness - diagnosis
Diving - injuries
Forensic Medicine - methods
Humans
Lung - pathology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Myocardium - pathology
Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods
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Summary:The body of a 44-year-old scuba diver was examined using postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and findings were verified by subsequent autopsy. The goal was to find out whether the important pathomorphological findings for the reconstruction of events and the identification of cause and manner of death could be identified using modern digital cross-sectioning techniques. The findings of a massive vital decompression with pulmonary barotrauma and lethal gas embolism were identified in the radiological images. MSCT and MRI were superior to autopsy in the demonstration of the extent and distribution of gas accumulation in intraparenchymal blood vessels of internal organs as well as in areas of the body inaccessible by standard autopsy.
ISSN:0022-1198
1556-4029
DOI:10.1520/JFS2003162