[Postmortem sonography helpful in death of unknown origin].

Area of Science:

• Medical imaging
• Forensic medicine
• Diagnostic ultrasound

Background:

• Postmortem imaging, including x-ray, CT, and MRI, has been utilized in forensic medicine since 1895.
• Conventional imaging modalities are standard in postmortem examinations.
• Sonography is often disregarded due to postmortem gas formation, limiting its perceived diagnostic value.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of postmortem sonography in clarifying causes of death.
• To investigate the effectiveness of early postmortem sonography in specific clinical scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Case series reporting three instances of postmortem sonography.
• Ultrasound examinations were performed within three hours of death.

Main Results:

• Postmortem sonography successfully clarified the previously unclear cause of death in all three reported cases.
• The findings demonstrate the feasibility and diagnostic potential of early postmortem ultrasound.

Conclusions:

• Sonography can be a valuable tool in postmortem examinations, even in the presence of expected postmortem changes.
• Early application of postmortem sonography offers diagnostic advantages in specific forensic cases.