Time-related change evaluation of the cerebrospinal fluid using postmortem CT

Area of Science:

• Forensic pathology
• Radiology
• Postmortem imaging

Background:

• Accurate estimation of postmortem interval is crucial in forensic investigations.
• Computed tomography (CT) imaging offers a non-invasive method for examining cadavers.
• Cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) properties may change predictably after death.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) CT density in estimating postmortem intervals.
• To determine if CSF density changes correlate with time since death in cadavers.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 189 cadavers with varying postmortem intervals (0.5 to 30 days).
• Cadavers were grouped by postmortem time (13 distinct groups and 3 broader time-width groups).
• Cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) CT density in the lateral ventricles was measured and compared against estimated postmortem times.

Main Results:

• CSF CT density remained stable around 20 HU up to 2.5 days postmortem.
• A gradual increase in CSF density was observed after day 3, with significant differences noted on days 3, 4, and 7 compared to earlier time points.
• CSF density showed a statistically significant increase with postmortem time, although the linear correlation (R²=0.119) was weak.

Conclusions:

• CSF CT density increases after the third postmortem day, indicating a potential marker for postmortem interval estimation.
• The earliest detectable change in CSF density occurs around the third postmortem day.
• Further research is warranted to refine the use of CSF CT density for more precise postmortem time estimations.