[Diagnostic imaging of "body packers"].
Drug smuggling by intra-abdominal concealment, so called "body packing," has recently increased, even in Japan. Because of fatal drug intoxication and other adverse side effects, it is important to make a radiological diagnosis of body packers as soon as possible. A retrospective analysis of the images of plain abdominal radiography, computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US) was performed in twenty-three body packers to evaluate the imaging characteristics of three drugs (cannabis, cocaine and heroin). Cannabis (16 patients) and cocaine (5 patients) packages were demonstrated as well-demarcated rectangular-shaped high-density shadows surrounded by gas halo ("double condom sign") in abdominal plain radiographs and CT. Heroin packages (2 patients) were demonstrated as obscure shadows and were difficult to identify on plain radiographs, because they resembled stool masses. US was performed in one cannabis patient because of the refusal of radiological examination, and packages were demonstrated as round echogenic structures with dorsal echo extinctions. In conclusion, abdominal plain radiography, CT and US represent valuable diagnostic modalities in the assessment of body packers.
Ichikawa
K
K
Department of Radiology, Nippon Medical School.
Tajima
N
N
Tajima
H
H
Murakami
R
R
Okada
S
S
Hosaka
J
J
Ito
K
K
Yamamoto
K
K
Kumazaki
T
T
Masuno
T
T
Yokota
H
H
Makino
T
T
D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D002188:Cannabis; D003042:Cocaine; D003415:Crime; D004349:Drug Packaging; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003932:Heroin; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014195:Travel; D014463:Ultrasonography
D003932:Heroin; D003042:Cocaine