title: Post-mortem evaluation of drowning with whole body CT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to investigate the value of whole body computed tomography (WB-CT) in bodies recovered from water by analysis of the imaging findings after drowning.
  
  
  METHODS
  The bodies of 41 drowning victims and 9 persons who died from mechanical asphyxia by hanging underwent post-mortem whole body computed tomography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Excessive fluid in the paranasal sinuses (98%), nasal pharynx (98%), oropharynx (95%), trachea (83%), ground glass opacities in the lung (89%), pleural fluid (71%), pericardial fluid (59%), esophageal fluid (81%), stomach fluid and distension (71%), duodenal (34%) and jejunal distension (31%) were the most frequent drowning related imaging findings which significantly differed from the group of mechanical asphyxia by hanging. In cases of fresh water drowning hemodilution was present in 79%. New and up to now unpublished findings were lower density in the spleen, indicative for hemodilution and detection of a pronounced amount of pericardial fluid, only seen in drowning victims.
authors: Forensic Institute - Ghent University Department of Forensic Medicine Jozef Kluyskensstraat 29, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Vander Plaetsen
authors: Forensic Institute - Ghent University Department of Forensic Medicine Jozef Kluyskensstraat 29, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Els
authors: E
authors: De Letter
authors: Forensic Institute - Ghent University Department of Forensic Medicine Jozef Kluyskensstraat 29, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Michel
authors: M
authors: Piette
authors: Forensic Institute - Ghent University Department of Forensic Medicine Jozef Kluyskensstraat 29, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Geert
authors: G
authors: Van Parys
authors: Department of Radiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, 8000 Bruges, Belgium; Department of Radiology, MR afdeling / -1K12, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Jan W
authors: JW
authors: Casselman
authors: Department of Radiology, MR afdeling / -1K12, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: koenraad.verstraete@ugent.be.
authors: Koenraad
authors: K
authors: Verstraete
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004332:Drowning / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D051598:Whole Body Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Computed tomography; Drowning; Forensic medicine; Post-mortem imaging; Whole body