Vol 18, No 13 (2016)

Posthumous computed tomography (CT) requires the differential diagnosis of postmortem and antemortem pathological processes. The most important is the issue with respect to detection of gas concentrations, as the traditional autopsy study does not allow to fully reveal the presence of intravascular intraorganic or gas except in severe air embolism. Purpose of the study. To explore the features of gas accumulation in organs and tissues of the dead fetuses, stillbirths and deaths of newbornswith the help of postmortem CT localization. Materials and methods. Examie via postmortem CT 110 fetuses, stillbirths and deaths of newborns. All observations were divided into five groups. Two groups consisted of fetuses after spontaneous (group 1, n=9) or induced abortion (group 2, n=41) on 14-21 th week of gestation. The two groups accounted body stillborn, died at gestational age 25-39 weeks prenatally (group 3, n=15) with the prescription of fetal death from 14 hours to 2 weeks or intrapartum (group 4, n=3). The 5th group included bodies of 42 infants born at 24-40 weeks and the timing of deaths between the ages of 6 hours to 166 days. After CT studies post mortem examination followed by an analysis of histological slides of tissue and organswas performed. Results. Rarer air accumulations were observed at postmortem CT baby bodies after induced (14.6%) and spontaneous (11.1%) of abortions. The most common gas visualized in cases of intrapartum death and the dead babies. On tomograms of bodies of newborns who died intrapartum, gas was visualized in all 3 cases. Only 5 (11.9%) died of gas accumulations newborn have not been determined. Conclusions. Posthumous CT is a more efficient method of detection of gas concentrations in comparison with the autopsy, however, cannot fully be an alternative to the traditional autopsy studies to carry out a comprehensive macroscopic and microscopic examination of organs and tissues.

The data on postmortem CT in forensic-medical examination is analyzed in the current review, with the main reason of showing the clinical radiologists all the features of postmortem CT and main internet resources used in preparation of the review being: scientific electronic library (Elibrary), SciVerse (ScienceDirect), Scopus, PubMed and Discovery. The articles discussing the features of postmortem CT, important for those professionals who seldom face the postmortem visualisation in their daily work, are also included. The earlier and later postmortem changes, such as rigor mortis, autolysis, septic and other postmortem processes that change the normal perceptions in CT visualization significantly. While interpreting the postmortem CT images, radiologists should take into consideration the most frequent artefacts, taking place due to the postmortem blood clots in the heart cavities and big arteries, aspiration of the stomach contents into the airways, esophago - and gastromalacia, cadaveric hypostases in internal organs, violation of the differentiation between grey and white brain matter, putrid gases in the blood vessels, organs and tissues and many other features. Postmortem visualization requires the special training for radiologists in forensic medicine and has the features of the radial imagingintrinsic only for corpses. When lacking the special knowledge, even the most experienced and clinically competent radiologists can make serious diagnostic mistakes interpreting the postmortem CT images.

The article discusses the possibility of using radiological methods - X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and sonography in the search and detection of narcotics (NA), carried by the container method in human body cavities (drug trafficker). The review provides research (as of September 2016), showing the benefits of a standard X-ray CT to the abdomen when searching with HC containers in the gastrointestinal tract. Currently, CT, including low-dose may be considered the correct method of choice for NA containers search in human body cavities. CT should be used for primary diagnosis as well as for re-examination after extraction with HC containers. MRI and ultrasound, despite a number of obvious advantages, including the absence of radiation exposure, are of limited use.