title: [Sonography for intracorporeal drug smuggling].
abstract: To evaluate the place of ultrasonography in the detection of intracorporeal drug packets (body-packs) ten volunteers were examined by ultrasound after having swallowed four body-packs each. Diagnostic criteria had first been established by ultrasound imaging of body-packs in a water bath. The body-packs contained finger-stalls, 1.5-1.8 cm in diameter, filled with hard-pressed glucose. The criterion for identification in the water-bath was shown to be a sickle-shaped echo with a dorsal echo deficit. This sign identified 23 of the 40 body-packs in eight of the ten subjects. Within the first three hours of ingestion 22 body-packs were demonstrated in eight of the subjects; after 17 hours nine body-packs were identified in the stomach of four subjects. In only one subject was it possible to identify (two) body-packs in the region of the small-large intestine. In practice, intracorporeal drug smugglers will almost always have the body-packs in the stomach at the time of likely examination. Extensive ultrasound screening of suspected smugglers is, therefore, recommended.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Gerichtliche Medizin, Universität Tübingen.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Freislederer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Graw
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D003415:Crime; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013270:Stomach / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Sonographie bei intrakorporalem Drogenschmuggel.