title: Postmortem computed tomography findings in the thorax - Experimental evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Experimental fatal models were prepared to investigate the time-related course of lung changes using postmortem CT (PMCT). This study was approved by our institutional animal ethics committee.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four NZW rabbits (female 24, 2.30-4.30 (mean 3.10)kg) were divided into 4 fatal groups; drowning, hypothermia, bag suffocation, and Potassium Chloride intravenous (control) group. All individuals were examined by CT (Aquilion CX, Toshiba, Japan) on postmortem time course until detection of putrefaction air. The percent of aerated lung volume (%ALV=100*(ALV/total lung volume)) was measured and the pleural space fluid was investigated by axial imaging. A paired t-test and Bonferroni/Dunn study were employed for statistical evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In intra-group analysis, the %ALV showed statistically different periods compared with each pre-image: 4-48 h in control, 1-24h in drowning, 5-6h in hypothermia, and 1-4h in bag suffocation. In inter-group comparison (compared with control group), the %ALV increased in suffocation and decreased in drowning within 12h. The %ALV remained significantly high in hypothermia until 24h. The earliest detection times of pleural space fluid collection were different in each group: control (20 h), drowning (18 h), suffocation (36 h), and hypothermia (95 h).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lung hypostasis and the appearance of pleural space fluid collection presented differently in individual causes of death and depending on the postmortem time.
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S1 W17 Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan. Electronic address: hyodoh@sapmed.ac.jp.
authors: Hideki
authors: H
authors: Hyodoh
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S1 W17 Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan.
authors: Jyunya
authors: J
authors: Shimizu
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S1 W17 Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan.
authors: Masumi
authors: M
authors: Rokukawa
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S1 W17 Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan.
authors: Shunichiro
authors: S
authors: Okazaki
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S1 W17 Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan.
authors: Keisuke
authors: K
authors: Mizuo
authors: Department of Legal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, S1 W17 Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan.
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001237:Asphyxia; D001344:Autopsy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004332:Drowning; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology / Q000379:methods*; D007035:Hypothermia; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000506:poisoning; D011817:Rabbits; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D011189:Potassium Chloride
keywords: Forensic radiology; Hypostasis; Pleural effusion; Postmortem CT; Postmortem change