Ultrasound shear-wave elastography applicability in estimation of post-mortem time

Area of Science:

• Forensic Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Estimating time of death is crucial in forensic investigations.
• Current methods for determining post-mortem interval (PMI) have limitations.
• Quantitative techniques may improve PMI estimation accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the applicability of ultrasound shear-wave elastography for estimating PMI.
• To assess the elasticity of various tissues post-mortem.
• To determine if quantitative elastography can reliably indicate time since death.

Main Methods:

• Ultrasound shear-wave elastography was performed on 80 corpses before autopsy.
• Measurements were taken from liver, muscle, testis, thyroid, and parotid tissues.
• Corpse groups were defined by post-mortem interval: <24h, 24-48h, 48-72h, and >72h.

Main Results:

• Liver elasticity significantly increased early post-mortem compared to live tissues.
• Significant differences in liver elasticity were observed between PMI groups (P=0.035).
• Elasticity measurements in other tested tissues did not reliably distinguish PMI groups.

Conclusions:

• Quantitative ultrasound shear-wave elastography of the liver shows potential for estimating time of death.
• Liver elasticity changes offer a promising biomarker for post-mortem interval assessment.
• Further research may refine this technique for forensic applications.