title: Brain fragility can be estimated by its putrefactive signs on postmortem computed tomography.
abstract: Along with time after death, postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) of the brain can reveal sequential changes. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between brain rigidity and advanced postmortem changes such as intravascular gas production, cerebral settling or cerebral liquefaction on PMCT. We then examined the findings of PMCT as an indicator of successful macroscopic examination of arbitrary brain slices at classical autopsy. The association between these advanced postmortem changes and the validity of macroscopic brain examination was investigated in 149 cases that were examined by PMCT at our department prior to autopsy in the period from September 2011 to December 2013. We found that the postmortem changes, classified into four stages, generally reflected the fragility of the brain. Thus, it is likely that PMCT findings of advanced postmortem changes are able to indicate decreased brain rigidity ahead of autopsy. These findings support the idea that PMCT could be used as a guide by forensic pathologists for suitable handling of a fragile brain, thus enhancing the quality of autopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaho
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan. Electronic address: m12702043@gunma-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Tamiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kominato
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gunma University Hospital, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Awata
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirasawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Brain; Postmortem changes; Postmortem computed tomography