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. Materials and 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: 4–48h 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 (20h), drowning (18h), suffocation (36h), and hypothermia (95h). Conclusion The lung hypostasis and the appearance of pleural space fluid collection presented differently in individual causes of death and depending on the postmortem time.